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1471. If, therefore, the irritability of the plant at any 

 time, or but once only, makes its appearance indepen- 

 dently, it must be in the sexual organs, and in the mo- 

 ments of impregnation. Impregnation ensues, when the 

 two mundane principles of the plant, light and matter, 

 have attained, as corolla and fruit, to the highest pitch of 

 perfection ; then the tension of the spiral vessels ranks 

 so high, that they exercise their function independently 

 of what is terrestrial in the plant, move themselves in 

 the male filaments, touch the female organ, and die in 

 this their highest effort. 



1472. Thus has it only been conceded to the plant to 

 be, in the instant of impregnation, an animal and enjoy 

 animal passion. 



2. Function of the Ovarium. 



1473. The ovary, by its own power, is in a condition 

 to draw towards it the chemical saps from out the stem, 

 and as it were by its own heat to thrust new buds 

 from its leaf-ribs, namely, the seed-pellicles or testae. It 

 has not, however, strength sufficient to put forth also the 

 leaf- work, namely, the embryo, upon the apex of the 

 seed-shell. It requires for this purpose the stimulus of 

 the floral pollen. If the plant is very rich in sap, the 

 ovary is so likewise, and converts itself into fruit or sarco- 

 carp. As a rule, therefore, trees only bear a crop of fruit. 

 If also the impregnation is less perfect, the force of 

 the sap continues to remain inherent in the ovarian 

 leaves; they become rich in sap, fleshy, and likewise 

 fruity in character; trees, therefore, with imperfect or 

 separated blossoms, as the Amentaceae, Urticaceae, Eu- 

 phorbiaceae, Papilionaceae, Terebinthaceae, and Rosaceae, 

 usually bring forth a crop of fruit. 



1474. A stronger degree of refinement appears in 

 these fruit-saps than in the saps of the stem, because co- 

 rolla and seeds range closer to each other. They are 

 therefore more varied and richer in substance. The fruit- 

 substances range usually upon the side of the water or 

 the salts, while those of the seed range upon the side of 



