PRINCIPLE OF METAMORPHOSED SYMMETRY. 485 



naked, while the accompanying- appendage, corre- 

 sponding to a. seed-vessel, assumed all forms, froin. 

 a complete leaf to a mere scale. In like manner it 

 was proved that the pappus, or down of composite 

 plants, (as thistles,) is a transformed calyx. 



Along with this successful application of a pro- 

 found principle, it was natural that other botanists 

 should make similar attempts. Thus Mr. Lindley 

 was led to take a view 11 of the structure of Reseda 

 (mignonette) different from that usually entertained; 

 which, when published, attracted a good deal of 

 attention, and gained some converts among the 

 botanists of Germany and France. But in 1833, 

 Mr. Lindley says, with great candour, " Lately, Pro- 

 fessor Henslow has satisfactorily proved, in part by 

 the aid of a monstrosity in the common Mignonette, 

 in part by a severe application of morphological 

 rules, that my hopothesis must necessarily be false." 

 Such an agreement of different botanists respecting 

 the consequences of morphological rules, proves the 

 reality and universality of the rules. 



We find, therefore, that a principle which we may 

 call the Principle of Developed and Metamorphosed 

 Symmetry, is firmly established and recognized, 

 and familiarly and successfully applied by botanists. 

 And it will be apparent, on reflection, that though 

 symmetry is a notion which applies to inorganic 

 as well as to organic things, and is, in fact, a con- 

 ception of certain relations of space and position, 



11 Lindley, Brit. Assoc. Report, iii. 50. 



