WILD LIFE IN CALIFORNIA 



87 



forms has been worked out to the extent of 

 our present knowledge, it is possible that 

 scientifio research of the future will pro- 

 duce other wonderful facts, disclosing a closer 

 analogy in thy; life histories of the animal and 

 vegetable kingdoms. 



However, there are wonders of tree life that 

 will in all probability remain puzzles for the 

 human mind until the end of time. Why the 

 protoplasm and the chlorophyl, which to all 

 appearances are the same in all plant life, 

 operating in one kind of leaves produce on© 



kind of substance and in another kind some- 

 thing entirely different, and why a single 

 cell of protoplasm seemingly alike in all 

 vegetable forms, and which in fact is the 

 unit of all life, has when in one seed the 

 potential power of producing a majestic oak 

 that may live for ages, and in another seed 

 its power limited to the production of a 

 humble weed with an age of no more than 

 weeks, will probably remain something as 

 mysterious and unfathomable as the problem 

 of life itself. 



AT LEFT — Leaves spaced one-half of circumference of stem, two leaves and one circle 

 around the stem. This system is expressed as 1-2 



CENTER — Spaced one-third of circumference, three leaves and one circle; expressed 



as 1-3 



RIGHT — Spaced one-fifth of circumference, Ave leaves and two circles around the stem. 



Expressed as 2-5 



