The Vegetable Individual in its relation to Species. 65 
mined by the organic development, while this itself obtains its 
peculiar character from the determinate step of the metamorpho- 
sis at which the development ceases ;—and this is just what is 
so unmistakable in the phenomena of alternation.of generation 
in plants. Hence as a typical phenomenon of development, asa 
metamorphosis of generation, alternation of generation (as well 
as the metamorphosis of the individual) presents analogies with 
the graduated series in the animal and vegetable kingdoms, and 
the organic scale of the creation, in general ;—a point to which 
V. Carus* called at tention, aud Reichert, his predecessor, as well. 
The difficulties which the qualitative differences of shoots of 
one and the same species seem to present to our conception of 
shoots as individuals, will be entirely obviated if we can demon- 
Strate that a partial outfit and equipment of individuals, perfectly 
analogons to those found among plants, are likewise found in the 
animal kin dom, where in most cases there is less doubt as to 
What is an individual,—if we can show that in both kingdoms, 
and in a similar manner, a polymorphism of individuals occurs 
which depends upon a division of the steps of development and 
of the vital problem of the species among individual members, 
Whether of the same generation (divisions of generation), oro 
different generations cyclically sueceeding each: other (alternation 
of Setieration), : 
4€l us first compare the phenomena of alternation of generation 
OF, as it should be ealled, cyclical succession of generations) in 
both kingdoms.t As is the case in the alternation of geueration 
| 
| 
N 
* Zur naheren Kenntniss d. Generationsw. (1849) ; and, Einige Worte ib. Metam, 
| ‘bold u. Kolliker ree f, wiss. Zool. III, 1851, p. 359). 
Was called to the occurrence of this phenomenon in the animal kingdom by Steen- 
rups work. As soon as the lth: of the shoot as the vegetable individual was 
din all j i ecession of generations ot 
¥ he other necessarily appeared to be the ground of the coves ahtyr, i 
arance in ma lants in a Meterminate degree of ramificat : 
renee of a det rE ite mc 8 =» steps in the series of P  gsdartag goal, 
b 
| first (in a 
tw sential and unessential shoots, denominating | 
nse of the word) “ Ableger” [off-setts], the latter “ Ausleger” [out-ets]._ In 
ammilung d. Naturforscher in Mayence in the Se 
5: 
frequent i t of th é 
| to deen ae te and grouping of species. Of this pit Sr 
1 a report appeared in the Flora for 1842, p. 962, though, indeed, somew 
v4 i treated 
givesa compendium 
tion 
‘ect in the Bot. Zeit. 1844, 
the same ee m a* 
Sf 
