The sagacity & morality of plants : a sketch of the life & conduct of the vegetable kingdom / by J.E. Taylor.

  • John Ellor Taylor
Date:
1891
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The sagacity & morality of plants : a sketch of the life & conduct of the vegetable kingdom / by J.E. Taylor. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    brain of one of the lower animals ; the brain being seated within the anterior end of the body, receiving impressions from the sense-organs, and directing the several movements.’' It is only within the last few years, since botany has been studied from its biological side, that we have wakened up to understand what wonderful objects plants are. A new language has been de- veloped in which to describe their novel relationships. Whether we believe in the consciousness of plant-life or not, this language almost implies such a belief. We speak of plants adopting this habit or that device —always and only when such habits and devices are beneficial to them—as if they did it of set and intelligent purpose. The works of Darwin, Lubbock, Muller, Wallace, Kerner, Grant Allen, Wilson, and others, are particularly noticeable for this style of description. Who knows—perhaps there can be no life, animal or vegetable, unaccompanied by con- sciousness ! The minutest animalcule, lowest placed in the scale of animal being, displays a consciousness of external surroundings as simple and elementary as its own structure ; and its life is passed in volun- tarily and automatically responding to them. From this vanishing point of intelligence up to the genius of Shakespere, if we were in possession of all the facts, it might be possible to intercalate every inter- mediate stage of mental development and difference. Perhaps one reason why plants have been denied
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