OF PLANTS. 67 



4. The following condition depends much more upon 

 definite circumstances, Properly speaking, the simple 

 plant consists merely of a simple stem and its leaves ; but 

 in the angles of the leaves, particular cells are regularly 

 developed into buds (PI. in. Fig. 3). Now a bud is essen- 

 tially nothing more than a repetition of the plant on which 

 it is formed. This foundation of a new plant consists 

 equally of a stem and leaves, and the sole distinction is, 

 that the stem becomes intimately blended at its base with 

 the mother-plant, in its growth, and has no free radical 

 extremity, like that exhibited by the plant developed from 

 a seed. However, this distinction is not so great as it 

 appears at the first glance. Every plant of high organiza- 

 tion possesses the power of shooting out adventitious roots 

 from its stem, under the favouring influence of moisture ; 

 and very frequently even plants that have been raised from 

 seed are forced to content themselves with such adven- 

 titious roots, since it is the nature of many plants, for 

 instance the Grasses, never to develop their proper root, 

 although the germ is actually present. 



We are, it is true, accustomed to look upon the matter 

 as though the buds must always be developed to twigs and 

 branches, on and in connection with the plant itself, and 

 thus in common life we regard them as parts of a plant 

 and not as independent individuals, which they are in fact, 

 although they, like children which remain in their paternal 

 home, remain in the closest connection with the plant on 

 which they were produced. That they are at least capable 

 of becoming independent plants, is shown by an experi- 

 ment frequently successful when the necessary care is 

 taken, namely the breaking off and sowing of the buds 

 of our forest-trees. The well-known garden operations 

 of grafting and budding are other examples of this, and 



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