128 MORPHOLOGY. 



As, however, the formation of reproductive organs, or blossoms, in every 

 case completely hinders the further development of the simple plant in 

 the same direction, we still apply this term of simple plants to those in 

 which the buds are solely reproductive organs, or blossoms, and which, 

 consequently, are individuals incapable of growth. 



67. II. Under the parts of the plants whose forms have to be 

 considered, I understand the constant subdivisions of the total 

 form which present themselves as subjectively perceptible within 

 the sphere of a group of plants, and these parts I name the organs 

 of plants. 



Among the deplorable confusions which a false analogy with animals 

 has introduced into Botany, we must reckon the attempt that is commonly 

 made to define the organs of plants by their physiological characteris- 

 tics, with a thorough disregard of the fact that we know of no organ in 

 which the individual cells have not a perfectly independent life, only occa- 

 sionally so far modified as to cause one definite phenomenon of this life to 

 appear especially prominent (as we shall subsequently show under the head 

 of Organology), without the others becoming, on that account, completely 

 suppressed. Through what vital part can the plant not imbibe nutri- 

 ment, form secretions, and develop itself? If even these most important 

 functions are not apportioned to a definite organ, how can we still 

 universally talk of the physiological differences of organs? It appears 

 to me that everything regarding this subject has to be based upon mor- 

 phology. It must be left to Special Morphology to determine whether, 

 and what, organs are thus formed; while it belongs to Organology to dis- 

 cover how far, in these organs, particular definite phenomena of cell-life 

 are developed for the production of one remarkable collective effect. 



68. The condition of all morphological development is exten- 

 sion in space. Every plant, every part of a plant, may therefore 

 appear in the form of a line Conferva, Usnea, Cuscuta, most 

 stems, the leaves of Juncns, Triylochin, &c. ; in the form of a sur- 

 face, as Ulva, Parmelia, Lads, Marathrum, the stem of Opuntia, 

 Phyllanthus, Ruscus, ordinary leaves, &c., or be expanded into a 

 solid, as Protococcus, Undiiia, Mammillaria, Melocactus, and the 

 leaves of the species of Sedum, or Mesembryanihemum. 



The mere prevalence of one dimension must never be received as a 

 characteristic in our conception of a group of plants, or of a part of a 

 plant, since herein experience leads to no definite laws ; a priori, how- 

 ever, expansions in all three dimensions of space are equally possible. 

 It is certainly very important to hold firmly the general validity of this 

 proposition, for, simple as it is, it has frequently been contested, in 

 deciding upon the nature of individual organs according to mere relations 

 of dimension. 



69. Linear structures (fig. 110.) are still more exactly defined 

 according to a sectional figure, as teres (a), anceps (b), triqueter (c), 



... t 110 c. 9. t. / 



