284 CONSERVATIVE ORGANS. JJLECT. VII. 



LECTURE VII. 



SUBSTANCE AND ORGANIZATION OF THE STEM AND 



BRANCHES : ANATOMICAL DEMONSTRATION OF 



THE COMPONENT PARTS OF THESE ORGANS THEIR 



FORMATION, INCREASE, AND REPRODUCTION. 



THE examination of the external aspects of stems 

 and branches, which we have just concluded, will 

 readily enable you to form an estimate of the im- 

 portance of the correct knowledge of terminology to 

 the systematic Botanist ; for, without a definition 

 and name for each diversity of feature, which the 

 vegetable organs present to the sight or the 

 touch, it would be impossible for him to fix these 

 specific distinctions, by which alone the different 

 members of the same family of plants can be 

 readily recognised. This diversity, as you have 

 seen, is very considerable in the external charac- 

 ter of the stem and branches ; but when we ex- 

 tend our examination to their interior structure, 

 or organization, we find it confined within very 

 narrow limits : nor will this excite our astonish- 

 ment when we reflect, that nearly the same end 

 is to be accomplished by these organs, whatever 

 may be the habits or the physiognomy of the plant. 



