174 



PHYTONOMY. 



beginnings of vegetables, as in all parts of perfect plants, and 

 into which we can resolve all their organs. 



These primitive forms may be reduced to three, the cell- 

 form, the tube-form, and the spiral form. We discover these 

 forms more or less in all vegetable bodies. But a closer 

 examination shews us, that some forms of a simpler kind lie 

 at the foundation of these, and that from them every organic 

 part proceeds. We must begin, therefore, with these latter 

 forms. 



Every organising fluid, when it is passing from the fluid 

 into the solid state, shews small spheres or vesicles, and spi- 

 culae or needle-shaped bodies of a diminutive size. The 

 former we refer to the disengagement of hydrogen, which, as 

 one of the constituents of water, is always the first to separate 

 itself from it, because it is little soluble in water. Oxygen, 

 on the other hand, remains longer dissolved in water, and 

 accordingly the spicular and straight lined bodies which are 

 produced by it are more slowly disengaged, — as, in an electri- 

 cal process, negative electricity displays sparks and images of 

 a spherical shape, whilst positive electricity produces those 

 of a spicular appearance. 



In the lowest organic bodies we find this simple spherical 

 structure, and they may now therefore be considered as be- 

 longing to the animal or vegetable world. The simplest Co- 

 niomyci, as well as the simplest infusory animalculae, have this 

 vesicular or spherical structure. Afterwards the spiculae, 

 threads, and tubes, which we find in the Nematomyci, become 

 associated with these spheres ; (Tab. V. Fig. 5. 7.) Treviranus 

 has lately exhibited these spherulae and tubes in the spawn of 

 frogs, in the cellular texture of the femoral muscles of the 

 mammalia, in the spinal marrow of frogs, and in the 

 nerves of the garden snail, (Vermischte Schriften, I. Tab, 

 14.) We find this same combination of spherulae and spi- 

 culae in every generative sap, as well as in every slimy fluid 

 of plants. From these, therefore, are evolved the peculiar 

 primitive forms of the vegetable world. 



