1150. From the same cause the radical must be worse developed than
the ramular leaves. They are usually non-pinnated, undivided, because
they have more cellular substance in their composition than the upper
leaves. In the leaf-system, consequently, the whole idea of the plant
has been recontained; on the earth resides the chemical character,
as is evidenced by cellular, dense and misshapen leaves; above in
the air, on the contrary, the leaves are more delicate and are
divided--indicating an electric character.
1151. The division and pinnation of leaves can only progress according
to the odd numbers, 3, 5, 7, because the midrib determines the odd
leaflet.
1152. Leaflets occurring in pairs, or equally pinnated, are arrests of
development.
1153. The even number or the symmetrical form is unnatural in the
vegetable kingdom.
1154. The leaves are, like the young bark, and thus the whole trunk of
the plant, green, because the vegetable kingdom represents the lower
totality of the earth, the planet, whose synthesis is the water.
1155. From the same cause, the chief colour of the animal kingdom is
red, the colour of fire. Thus, plant is to animal, as green is to red.
1156. The division of leaves passes also parallel to the stages of
rank in plants. _Cellular leaves_ are the scales of mosses and ferns;
_vascular leaves_, the long riband-like leaves of Monocotyledons;
_tracheal_ leaves the reticular leaf of Dicotyledons. The _cortical
leaf_ is the sheath; the _liber leaf_ is probably the fat leaf; the
_wood leaf_ the acicular leaf. The _radical leaf_ is the undivided
reticular leaf; the _stalk-leaf_ the free or ragged reticular leaf; the
_perfect leaf_ the pinnate. The _bracteal leaves_ repeat all forms in
the thyrsus, since they are floral leaves.
1157. The accessory leaves or _stipules_ are none other than the
remnant of the sheath-formation, out of which all the leaves, and
therefore the wings of the leaf-petioles or phyllodia, have issued
forth.
1158. The thyrsus has also its series of leaves; the scale-like or
radical leaf is involucre and bractea; the vascular or spathe-leaf is
calyx; the tracheal or reticular leaf is corolla.
1159. The vegetable trunk, namely, root, stalk, and leaf, is a perfect
organism, which can exercise all the functions which belong to its
individual life. If it therefore produces anything, that can be nothing
new, but only itself repeated. This repetition of itself is called
propagation. The organs of propagation are thus none other than a
repetition of the organs of the vegetable trunk. The plant thereby
steps forth out of its individuality into the province of the genus.
B. _Æther Organs._
THYRSUS OR FLOWER.
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