Goethe's essay on the metamorphosis of plants. 
367 
leaves, sepals, and petals, expanded in breadth, fall away here, and a weak and very simple 
filament is produced. 
63. If we now admit that the same vessels, which we before saw elongate, spread out 
and rejoin, are at present in a condition of the highest contraction ; if we see them deliver 
their now highly-finished fecundating dust (pollen), which supplies, by its activity, what 
the vessels that contained it have lost in extension; if this pollen, now entirely free, 
seeks the stigmas, which, by the same action of nature, are growing towards the anthers ; 
if it adheres to them, communicating its influences ; we feel not disinclined to call this 
a spiritual anastomose, and believe it, at least for a moment, to have brought the ideas 
of vegetation and reproduction nearer together. 
64. The fine pollen produced in the anthers, appears to us as a kind of dust ; but these 
grains of pollen are only the vessels, in which a very fine fluid is contained. We quite 
agree with those who are of opinion that this fluid is absorbed by the stigma, explaining 
fertilisation in this manner. This becomes the more probable, as some plants have no 
pollen, but only a mere moist matter. 
65. This reminds us of the honey-like exudation of the nectaries, and its probable affinity 
with the elaborated fluid in the grains of pollen. Perhaps the nectaries are preparatory 
organs ; perhaps their honey-like fluid is absorbed and perfectly digested and prepared by 
the stamens ; an opinion which becomes more convincing as this exudation is no longer 
observed after fertilisation has taken place. 
66. We must not forget here to observe, though briefly, that the stamens, as well as 
the anthers, are very often united in different ways and degrees, showing the most remark- 
able instances of the action of anastomose, already several times spoken of, and of the com- 
bination of parts, which were quite separated in their origin. 
IX. Formation of the Style. 
67. After having been trying to prove the internal identity of the different organs of 
plants, developing successively, and so greatly varying in their external formation, it may 
easily be supposed that it is now my intention to explain the structure of the style 
and stigma, in the same manner. 
68. We firstly consider the style, separated from the fruit (ovary), as we often find 
it in nature. We may do this so much easier, as it shows itself quite distinct from the 
ovary under this form. 
69. We shall remark here that the style stands on the same point of growth where we 
find the anthers. For we could observe that anthers are produced by a contraction ; now 
the styles are mostly in the same case ; and we find them, if not always of quite equal 
length with the stamens, only a little shorter or longer. In many cases the style looks 
like a stamen without an anther, and the affinity of their external formation is greater 
than in the other organs. As both of them are produced by spiral vessels, we see so 
much clearer that neither part forms proper organs ; and if the close affinity between them 
becomes evident by this observation, we find that idea — to call fertilisation an anastomose 
— much more evident and appropriate. 
70. We find very often the style composed of several united styles, and the parts of 
which it consists are hardly discernible, even at their points, where they are not always 
separated. This combination, the action of which we have already often observed, 
becomes here more possible than ever ; it must even take place, because these tender 
parts, before their perfect development, lay so very closely together in the centre of the 
flower-bud, that they may unite themselves to the most intimate degree. 
