PRINCIPLE OF METAMORPHOSED SYMMETRY. 470 



is to be considered as identical with several detached 

 leaves dispersed spirally along the axis, and brought 

 together because the axis is shortened. Thus all 

 the parts of a plant are, or at least represent, the 

 successive metarmorphoses of the same elementary 

 member. The root-leaves thus pass into the com- 

 mon leaves ; these into bractese ; these into the 

 sepals; these into the petals; these into the 

 stamens with their anthers ; these into the ovaries 

 with their styles and stigmas; these ultimately 

 become the fruit ; and thus we are finally led to 

 the seed of a new plant. 



Moreover the same notion of metamorphosis 

 may be applied to explain the existence of flowers 

 which are not symmetrical like those we have just 

 referred to, but which have an irregular corolla, or 

 calyx. The papilionaceous flower of the pea tribe, 

 which is so markedly irregular, may be deduced by 

 easy gradations from the regular flower, (through 

 the mimosece,) by expanding one petal, joining to- 

 gether two others, and modifying the form of the 

 intermediate ones. 



Without attempting to go into detail respect- 

 ing the proofs of that identity of all the different 

 organs, and all the different forms of plants, which 

 is thus asserted, we may observe, that it rests on 

 such grounds as these ; the transformations which 

 the parts of flowers undergo by accidents of nutri- 

 ment or exposure. Such changes, considered as 

 monstrosities where they are very remarkable, show 



