Abstract
A CONSTANT struggle for existence, the consequence of the enormous increase in the numbers of the individuals of almost every species, is the fate of nearly every organism, both animal and vegetable. Some have to sustain the attacks of others which are directly antagonistic to them, and which regard them as prey; in the case of others the struggle is rather one to live in the face of adverse conditions or peculiarities of environment, so that the different organisms are not directly hostile, but each affects its neighbour injuriously by adapting itself more readily to the changing surroundings, and so diminishing the other's power of obtaining nutriment, sunlight, or whatever other condition may be the object of their competition. Thus have been developed in the different competitors different features of their constitution-many perfecting powers of active assault, others facilities for active or passive defence. The last-named is particularly the feature found in the vegetable kingdom. The want of locomotion prevents any aggressive movement of the individual, and hence success in the struggle can only be secured by more complete adaptation to environment than its competitors can show, or by protective mechanisms guarding the individual from the assaults of organisms inclined to prey upon it. These mechanisms exhibit very great variety, and their object often seems obscure till they are looked at in the light of the environment of the plant, the conditions of its life, and the enemies against which it has to contend. The specially-exposed points of attack are three: the succu-lent leaves and shoots or the attractive fruits are assailed by animals in search of food; the honey secreted by the flower to allure to it the particular insect adapted to bring about properly the process of fertilisation attracts also other insects whose presence is useless for such purpose, and which therefore are only robbers; while the fertilising pollen is itself the object of desire on the part of others which are equally unable to apply it to its legitimate purpose.
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Plants and their Defences . Nature 34, 5–7 (1886). https://doi.org/10.1038/034005a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/034005a0