THE MORPHOLOGICAL COMPOSITION OF PLANTS. 



63 



fronds they produce : the manifestation of the tendency, 

 being probably limited only by failure of nutrition. That 

 under fit conditions, an analogous mode of growth will occur 

 in fronds of the aero genie type, like those we set out with, is 

 shown by the case of Jungermannia furcata, Figs. 45, 46, in 

 which such compound prolification is partially displayed. 

 Let us suppose then, that the frond a, Fig. 106, produces 



not only a single secondary frond b, but also another such 

 secondary frond, V. Let us suppose, further, that the frond 

 b is in like manner doubly proliferous : producing both c 

 and c f . Lastly, let us suppose that in the second frond V 

 which a produces, as well as in the second frond c' which b 

 produces, the doubly-proliferous habit is manifested. If, 

 now, this habit grows organic — if it becomes, as it natur- 

 ally will become, the characteristic of a plant of luxuriant 

 growth, the unfolding parts of which can be fed by the un- 

 folded parts ; it will happen with each lateral series, as with 

 the main series, that its successive components will begin to 

 shew themselves at earlier and earlier stages of development. 

 And in the same way that, by dwarfing and generalizing 



