ORGANS OF VEGETATION. 555 



CHAPTEK II. 



SPECIAL ORGANOLOGY. 



217. THE object of Special Organology is to develope the func- 

 tions of the individual organs of plants, and we have now principally 

 to give here a synopsis of what has already been presented in other 

 parts of the work. The result of the whole will be that, excepting 

 the organs of reproduction, the plant possesses no definite physiolo- 

 gical organs at all, namely, such as perform one certain, determinate 

 function. Our knowledge respecting these functions is as yet very 

 defective, and with regard to the Angiosporce we are almost entirely 

 without observations. 



The best method of distributing the matter will be to regard the 

 organs of reproduction independent of the other organs (those of 

 vegetation), and to divide the former into Cryptogamia and Phane- 

 rogamia, including the Rhizocarpea ; and the latter into Angiosporcs 

 and Gymnosporcs. 



A. Organs of Vegetation. 

 a. Angiosporce. 



4 



218. As organs are almost out of the question in the whole 

 group of the Angiosporce, we have only to consider here the tissues 

 and elementary parts. The organs for attaching or fixing the 

 plant to the ground can only be mentioned as having a certain 

 locality, but most of them also grow with the plant when detached 

 from the ground. The whole external surface is only intended to 

 receive nutritive fluids ; and this is all we know of these plants. 

 With regard to the Lichens, the green, round cells may occasionally 

 project from beneath the bark, and become new plants when dis- 

 persed about ; this is probably the case in the other orders, but has 

 not yet been observed. 



b. Gymnosporce. 



2 1 9. The leaf and axis, as fundamental organs, have no deter- 

 minate physiological functions, except such as belong to them in 

 their metamorphosis into reproductive organs. As, however, the 

 axis originally forms the connecting link of all parts, and alone is 

 of a permanent nature, whilst the leaf, on the other hand, is sub- 

 sequently formed and dependant, is isolated and transient, so we 

 may say that the function of the distribution of the sap belongs 



