260 THE BWCOSMOS PARTICULARIZED. 



trunk which sends forth leafy green branches 

 that finally top out the whole in a many-col- 

 ored flower-life. 



Nor should we fail to note the correspond- 

 ing realization of the associative idea through 

 many ascending shapes from the primal cell 

 to the highest flower. That primal cell is it- 

 self organized as the starting point of pres- 

 ent science; first is the association of cells 

 into organs, then the association of organs 

 into the whole organism of the flower, finally 

 appears the association of these floral organ- 

 isms. into a kind of corporation or institution, 

 which is still a flower, with many associated 

 florets, each of which is a complete organic 

 individual within itself, yet engirdled and 

 fortressed without by another floral organ- 

 ism which unites them inwardly and protects 

 them outwardly. Thus we find two floral sys- 

 tems in the Compositae (and sometimes traces 

 of more) yet united into one doubly associat- 

 ed flower. 



Another phase of vegetal association may 

 be here noted in passing. The terrestrial 

 elements, water (or its absence), soil, air 

 (wind) are causes of a varied grouping of 

 Plants from low to high. Also the radiants, 

 heat, light, and electricity determine what are 

 often called Plant societies. In other words 

 the various diacosmical energies of Nature 



