192 The Vegetable Individual in its relation to Species. 
ance,—and call these parts of the same individual. In this sense 
Schleiden’s view of the simple plant might perhaps be justified, 
although, as he starts from different premises, he does not con- 
sider mere floral branches as particular individuals. He says: “If 
nothing but organs of reproduction, or Ravan spring from the 
bud we still call the plant a simple or 
Here, however, we arrive ata reise nee which shows us 
that we cannot carry out the idea of the vegetable individual with 
the requisite definiteness in this way, since we thus regard essen- 
tially similar branches, now as individuals in themselves, now as 
mere parts of individuals, As I have already remarked, Schlei- 
den allows individual importance to branches which are identicalt 
with the main axis; those on the contrary which produce flow- 
ers alone, and in this respect differ from the main axis, he regards 
as mere parts of the simple individual, This distinction when 
analyzed is perfectly nugatory ; since it only lays down two ex- 
tremes, between which there are an infinite number of gradations. 
Strictly speaking, there are no branches which are perfectly iden- 
tical with the main stem, as is evident from the fact that no 
anch begins with cotyledons, as the main axis does.{ Besides, 
the foliaceous leaves on the branch are almost always fewer than 
those on the main axis, and generally ae in proportion as the 
point is higher where the branch origina The arrangement 
of the leaves on the branches, also, often differs from the arrange- 
ment on the main axis, as e. g., in most of our broad-leaved trees, 
—in the Elm, mee Chestnut, Linden, ete., in which the ph 
lotaxis on the main axis, and often at a later period in the so- 
—_ 
fe 
= 
called “ water-shoots” ( Wemstrachorsen is spiral or decussate, — 
Al- 
while on the branches, it is, on the contrary, distichous. In 
nus viridis the phyllotaxis is rsoliahors on the main axis, and dis- 
there are 3-4-leaved whorls; on the branches the pairs of leaves 
are nearly decussate ; this is also the case in Lysimachia vulgaris- 
In the same way in Equisetum the number of the rameal vert 
-cillate leaves is always inferior to that of the cauline ones, While 
thus on the one hand the vegetative branches are nowhere el 
tirely similar to the stem from which they spring, on the other 
hand it appears that those branchlets which seem to be at flow- 
ers only are usually more numerous than they seem to 
in most cases one, two, or even more small leaves (tls), a 
present beneath the flow r, Which may easily escape n notice 
account of their ainsi: size, “es their existence may 
* Grundz, ii, p. 4 + Gru i, p.4 
id beat oy cotyledons of the branches, rodegst hae been com ilo- 
This comparison is partly justified in view of the commencement of phy rt 
— on the braneh ; which often resembles that on t xe main axis, whilein regard 
form and consistency almost all resemblance disa 
