But in the beautifully plumed seed of the dandelion, and in the flattened and fringed legs of the water-beetle, the relation seems at first confined to the elements of air and water. Yet the advantage of plumed seeds no doubt stands in the closest relation to the land being already thickly clothed
with with 1866 1869 1872 | by 1859 1860 1861 |
other plants; so that the seeds may be widely distributed and fall on unoccupied ground. In the water-beetle, the structure of its legs, so well adapted for diving, allows it to compete with other aquatic insects, to hunt for its own prey, and to escape serving as prey to other animals. |
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The store of nutriment laid up within the seeds of many plants seems at first sight to have no sort of relation to other plants. But from the strong growth of young plants produced from such
seeds seeds 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | seeds, 1872 |
(as (as 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | as 1872 |
peas and
beans), beans), 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | beans, 1872 |
when sown in the midst of long grass,
it may be it may be 1861 1866 1869 1872 |
I 1859 1860 |
suspected suspected 1861 1866 1869 1872 | suspect 1859 1860 |
that the chief use of the nutriment in the seed is to favour the growth of the
young young 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | young 1872 |
seedling, seedling, 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | seedlings, 1872 |
whilst struggling with other plants growing vigorously all around. |
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Look at a plant in the midst of its range, why does it not double or quadruple its numbers? We know that it can perfectly well withstand a little more heat or cold, dampness or dryness, for elsewhere it ranges into slightly hotter or colder, damper or drier districts. In this case we can clearly see that if we
wished wished 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | wish 1872 |
in imagination to give the plant the power of increasing in number, we should have to give it some advantage over its competitors, or over the animals which
preyed preyed 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | prey 1872 |
on it. On the confines of its geographical range, a change of constitution with respect to climate would clearly be an advantage to our plant; but we have reason to believe that only a few plants or animals range so far, that they are destroyed
by by 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | exclusively by 1872 |
the rigour of the
climate climate 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | climate. 1872 |
alone. alone. 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | alone. 1872 |
Not until we reach the extreme confines of life,
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