344 Dr. A. Braim on the Vegetable Individual. 



which must hence necessarily have some branches in order to 

 attain the end of their existence. This is the case with the 

 Evening Primrose, Larkspur, Orchidece, &c.j whose lateral flowers 

 are just such essential branches. If we demand that the indi- 

 vidual should be a complete representative of the characters of 

 the species, as is implied in the usual view, then we must add 

 to the principal axis such branches as these, — without which 

 the process of vegetation is not concluded, and on which, in fact, 

 the most essential and characteristic parts of the plant make 

 their appearance, — and call these, parts of the same individual. 

 In this sense Schleiden^s view of the simple plant might perhaps 

 be justified, although, as he starts from diiferent premises, he 

 does not consider mere floral branches as particular individuals. 

 He says, " If nothing but organs of reproduction, or flowers, 

 spring from the bud, we still call the plant a simple one*.''^ 



Here, however, we arrive at a contradiction, which shows us 

 that we cannot carry out the idea of the vegetable individual 

 with the requisite definiteness in this way, since we thus regard 

 essentially similar branches, now as individuals in themselves, 

 now as mere parts of individuals. As I have already remarked, 

 Schleideu allows individual importance to branches which are 

 identical t with the main axis ; those on the contrary which 

 produce flowers alone, and in this respect differ from the main 

 axis, he regards as mere parts of the simple individual. This 

 distinction when analysed is perfectly nugatory ; since it only 

 lays down two extremes, between which there is an infinite 

 number of gradations. Strictly speaking, there are no branches 

 which are perfectly identical \yith the main stem, as is evident 

 from the fact that no branch begins with cotyledons, as the 

 main axis does j. Besides, the foliaceous leaves on the branch 

 are almost always fewer than those on the main axis, and gene- 

 rally fewer in proportion as the point is higher where the branch 

 originates. The arrangement of the leaves on the branches, 

 also, often differs from the arrangement on the main axis, as 

 e. g. in most of our broad-leaved trees, — in the Elm, Hazel, 

 Chestnut, Linden, &c., in which the phyllotaxis on the main axis, 

 and often at a later peried in the so-called " water-shoots " 

 (Wasserschossen), is spiral or decussate, while on the branches 

 it is, on the contrary, distichous. In Alnus viridis the phyl- 

 lotaxis is tristichous on the main axis, and distichous on the 



* Grundz. ii. p. 4. t Jbid. 



X The basilai'v cotyledons of the branches, indeed, have been coni])ared 

 to cotyledons. This comparison is partly justified in view of the com- 

 mencement of phyllotaxis on the branch ; which often resembles that on 

 the main axis, while in regard to form and consistency almost all resem- 

 blance disappears. 



