PLANT-LIFEFORMATION. 211 



up and from which it rays out on every side, 

 when it is free to unfold, into a rounded, 

 somewhat hemispherical or conical shape. 

 Moreover it is the symmetrical counterpart 

 of the root : system, which also radiates in all 

 directions from the stem as original center. 

 But the root is all puckered mouth for suc- 

 tion, while the leaf is all extended hand for 

 receiving what falls, though it too has pores 

 for absorbing its gifts. The leaf has the ten- 

 dency to take the horizontal position at right 

 angles to the perpendicular stem, chiefly for 

 the sake of catching the sun's rays on its 

 broad upper surface. By this purpose also 

 the direction of the branches is controlled: 

 they quit the central stem and spread out to 

 carry the leaf to sunshine. From this fact 

 it is evident that the branch properly belongs 

 to the leaf-system which separates it from 

 its original home, and governs its course out- 

 ward and upward. For it is the leaf which 

 is to get not only light (as the books too nar- 

 rowly put it) but also heat, yea electricity; 

 we should add, too, chemism from the so- 

 called actinic ray; thus all the diacosmical 

 radiants, as well as chemical energy are taken 

 up by the leaf in the sunbeam. Nor is this 

 all : the two general fluids, water and air, be- 

 long in the workshop of the leaf. Thus it will 

 be seen that the leaf grapples with the whole 



