:298 VEGETABLE ORGANOGRAPHY. 



germ, viz. ; 1st, sometimes a seed, supposing that, as 

 takes place in some annual plants, it produces a stem 

 without branches ; 2d, sometimes a branch considered 

 as a developed germ. Thus, in this sense, a tree is an 

 aggregation of the primitive individual proceeding from 

 the seed, and of all the individuals proceeding from un- 

 fecundated germs which are developed one upon another, 

 and have formed the prolongations or ramifications of 

 the primitive individual. 



Cassini opposes this idea, and persists in the opinion 

 of the unity of the plant, founding it upon the continuity 

 of the fibres of the branches and of the trunk ; but this 

 continuity only proves, which no one can deny, that the 

 germs spring from the extremity of the fibres : in other 

 cases we find a continuity equally as great, at least from 

 our means of investigation, when we dissect a branch 

 proceeding from a grafted bud ; for, in this case, we 

 know perfectly well that there is a plurality of indi- 

 viduals and continuity notwithstanding. I do not think, 

 then, that the observations of this learned botanist can 

 modify the theory of Darwyn. 



Each branch, or partial individual, presents great con- 

 formity of development with the primitive individual ; 

 its pith, full of juice, acts the part of a reservoir of nu- 

 triment ; and in Dicotyledons the two first leaves of 

 each branch are almost always opposite like the cotyle- 

 dons which they seem to represent. 



Each partial individual, whether it originate from a 

 seed or from an unfecundated germ, is susceptible of 

 two kinds of terminations: — it is sometimes terminated 

 by a flower ; sometimes it is prolonged without flowering, 

 and only seems to stop from defect of nourishment. The 

 indefinite development of a branch requires more vege- 

 tative force, and is more frequent in young plants, and 

 in those growing in very damp situations. The termi- 



