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of the mutual sharing of genes in- phenomenal appearance in individuals is 
called the theory of the mutual sharing of the gene. 
ik Should these theories be accepted, GorTHE’s idea in his “ Metamorphose 
> 
der’ Pflanzen” would find a better interpretation than in the case at present. 
According to these views, all vegetable organs are one and the same in their 
real entity. That there are so many different organs, such as leaf, sepal, petal, 
stamen and others is due to the fact that the genes contained in the organs 
present suitable temporary phenomenal appzarances, in agreement with the 
conditions of the past, present and future, that is to say the conditions which 
follow necessarily through the causal nexus. It is not, however, intended that 
this assertion should be understood in the sense that all organs are the same 
at the commencement of their development, and merely present different shapes 
after full growth, according to the different conditions which come later on. 
But it should be understood that foliage leaves and sepals are different even 
in their very beginning, though they then look very much the same. The very 
beginning of a leaf was, is and will be, so conditioned as to be a foliage leaf 
after its development; as the very beginning of a sepal is to be a s2pal after 
attaining its full growth. In this sense, the beginning of a foliage leaf is 
different from that of a sepal. Yet, different as they are, they are different 
only in conditions ; they are all the same in their real entity. As the conditions 
are different, so the combinations of the apparent genes and the proportions 
of apparent and latent genes differ; so in consequence their phenomenal 
appearances will differ. The same is true a3 to adult as well as to nascent 
organs. Thus much having been said, let us consider GoETHE’S original work 
section by section. 
21. Ein jeder, der das Wachsthum der Pflanzen nur einigermafen beobachtet, 
wird leicht bemerken, da3 gewisse ‘iuSere Theile derselben sich manchmal vyerwandeln 
und in die Gestalt der nichstliegenden Theile bald ganz, bald mehr oder weniger 
ubergehen. ; 
23. ....wir lernen die Gesetze der Umwandlung kennen, nach welchen sie 
(Natur) einen Theil durch den andern hervorbringt, und die verschiedensten gestalten 
durch Modification eines einzigen Organs darstellt. 
In the above quotations § 3, we come upon the expression “ einziges Organ” 
which is certainly what is called Gorran’s Blatt by his readers. The most 
suitable way to interpret his Blctt is to regard ib as a real entity which 
