204 THE BIOCOSMOS PARTICULARIZED. 



in contrast to those of the Animal, are similar 

 to one another and to the total body. More- 

 over the same principle is a criterion of grad- 

 ing both Plants and Animals. Goethe goes 

 on: "The more similar the parts, the less 

 are they subordinated to one another; the 

 subordination of the parts points to a more 

 perfect organism. ' : As already indicated, the 

 Plant lacks this subordination of the many 

 organs to the one central organ. 



2. The Plant Organism in its dual sym- 

 metry. The next fact to be regarded in the 

 Plant Organism is what appears a double 

 polarity it has two poles, opposite yet sym- 

 metrical. Boots and rootlets grow down- 

 ward, seeking the dark; branches and leaves 

 grow upward seeking the light. The inter- 

 mediate trunk embodies both tendencies: it, 

 as if manifesting Nature's dualism, waxes 

 both earthward and sunward, with a part 

 unseen and a part seen. Striking is this po- 

 larity of the typical Plant; indeed it re- 

 sembles an upright magnetic bar at whose 

 ends above and below are raying out lines of 

 iron filings. Evidently vital energy here di- 

 vides and moves in two opposite directions, 

 becoming positive and negative, we can say 

 analogically. This may even be the work of 

 electricity, which is now being studied a good 

 deal in Plant-life by scientists. At any rate 



