ABSTRACT
Robert Brown has strongly insisted on the fact that the rudimentary florets are of the highest importance in the classification of the grasses. Rudimentary structures on this view are as good as, or even sometimes better than, other parts of the organization. Organs or parts in this strange condition, bearing the stamp of inutility, are extremely common throughout nature. An organ serving for two purposes, may become rudimentary or utterly aborted for one, even the more important purpose; and remain perfectly efficient for the other. Rudimentary organs in the individuals of the same species are very liable to vary in degree of development and in other respects. Rudimentary organs may be utterly aborted; and this implies, that we find in an animal or plant no trace of an organ, which analogy would lead us to expect to find, and which is occasionally found in monstrous individuals of the species.
