90 



nexus, as liere iu this case, in greater proportions, conditioned to present tlie 

 genes causing petaloidal forms or staminodes, biit in far lesser proportions, 

 conditioned to present the genes causing the production of a stamen. When- 

 ever we have secured actual evidence in the luatter, concerning stamens 

 turniug into petaloidal organs, or petals changiug to stamens, then we can 

 arrive at some definite conclusion. But this will be the case onlj in the 

 instance actually observed. It is not propar to extend the same conclusion 

 to cases where we have no actual evidence, since it is a conclusion which we 

 reached through Hmited experience. 



The stamen proper to the Canna (but not the ordinary one) is, so to 

 speak, conditioned partlj to be an ordinary stamen, and partly to be a 

 petal. It represenis a transitional form between a petal and a stamen, and 

 therefore participates in the genes of an ordinary petal and of a stamen. The 

 relation of the patal, stamen and staminode is, therefore, actually represented 

 by the mutual sharing of the genes of the phenomenal appearance 

 possessed by the three floral elements. The genes in the phenomenal appear- 

 ance are partly different and partly similar in the different organs. But the 

 genes in the real entity are all the saine in every organ. Therefore, one who 

 sees the imiversal foundation (basic unity) of organs is looking at the genes 

 in their real entity ; and one who sees the particular manifestations of 

 organs is considering the mutual sharing of the genes in their phenomenal 

 appearance in different organs. 



GoETHE in §51, compares nectaries, foliage leaves, sepals and petals. He 

 takes the ' Nebenkrone ' of the Narcissus as an instance in point ; in this, I 

 think he is right. Although in § 57 he explains an instance where nectaries 



ff 



turn into petals, he only intends to explaiu by this instance the unity of 

 nectaries and petals ; but not to decide that petals are necessarily metamor- 

 phosed nectaries, or nectaries are exchisively transformed petals. 



Thus, he compares all vegetable organs such as the leaf, sepal, petal 

 stamen, pistil, fruit and seed, and tries to explain the unity in their funda- 

 mental characters. Some errors may have crept into the examples given by 

 liim, but the correct idea imderlying his thought is justly to be interpreted 

 as the doctriue of the imity of all orgaus. In § 115, he says : — 



