1878.] 
What is a Flower ? 
489 
the reproductive capacity. Some species of violets produce 
their coloured and fragrant flowers in the spring, but these 
are barren, while the seed is produced in late summer from 
blossoms which contain the perfect stamens and pistils, 
but have no corolla. The Hydrangea and the cultivated 
Guelder-rose, with the majority of double-blossomed plants, 
carnations, roses, hawthorns, cherries, gorse, &c., must be 
excluded from the category of flowers if the reproductive 
function is taken as the distinguishing character. These 
plants, though luxuriant in growth and supremely beautiful, 
bear no seed when in their finest condition ; they do not 
reproduce the species ; the vital wave has reached in them 
its ultimate climax ; the destiny of the species is fulfilled ; 
there is no longer any necessity to carry forward the wave 
of Force from generation to generation. They have attained 
the beauty which marks maturity ; reaction is about to set 
in ; the wave would enter upon its descending phase, and 
the species would rapidly die out and disappear if it were 
not that man stays the dissipation of the wave by lateral 
propagation — a process analogous, perhaps, to that of pre- 
venting the dissipation of any given sound by inclosing it 
in a tube. 
It is no answer to this argument to assert that the 
doubling of the flower, or the enlargement of the corolla at 
the expense of the stamens and pistil, or the conversion of 
the calyx into a coloured corolla, is an abnormal condition. 
Variation is universal. Abnormal variation is only such as 
exceeds the average limit. Alter the surroundings, or in- 
crease the energy of the wave, and the average changes ; 
what was before abnormal is now normal. Abnormal vari- 
ations, when they are due to accumulating energy, are 
prophecies of future development. A wild stock will just 
exist and perpetuate its species in poor soil crowded with 
competitors. Give it more air and food, and its growth will 
be more luxuriant, and its flowers larger and brighter. 
Remove it to the garden, supply it with the most favourable 
conditions for accumulating energy, and some of its flowers 
will produce a fifth petal. Seledt the seed which these 
flowers leave behind them, and you will at last get the 
beautiful but barren double stocks. Each change has been 
due to the same cause, augmented energy, and no one is 
more abnormal than the others. 
The double flower is not the result of disease, but of 
accumulated energy. Diminish the energy, and you get 
palpable degradation in size or colour, or both. When 
Aphides attack the heads of wild honeysuckle the flowers 
