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The World of Life: Plants
originated in earth, and grown in earth, having it in their birth, origin, and growth, being impelled by their Karman, and coming forth in it on account of their Karman, growing there in particles of earth, the origin of various things- come forth as trees.8
For most blue-greens-algae and plant bacteria10 asexual reproduction is the only means by which new individuals are produced. Even in the higher plants reproduction may take place asexually in a variety of ways, as pointed out, e. g. plants from seeds generated at the top (of the plant), at its root, at its knots, at its stem.11 Rice plants grow from seeds, gingers from roots, sugarcane from knots and plaintains from stem, 12 rose plant from shoot, onion from bulb (kanda ), and grasses have spontaneous reproduction (Sammürcchim). 13.
Most of the cultivated trees and shrubs are reproduced from the cutting of stems, which sprout roots at their tips when placed in moist ground, e. g. sugarcane.14 A number of commercial plants-bananas (Kadali ),15 etc. have lost their ability to produce functional seeds and must be propagated entirely by asexual means from the stem. 16
10t
Many plants, such as ground,17 etc. develop long, horizontal stems called runners (Valli).18 They grow several feet along the ground in a single season and may develop new erect plants at every other mode. Other plants spread by means of similar stems, called rhizomes, which grow underground, e.g. Bhadramuttha,19 Seḍiya (a kind of grass), Bhattiya, Dabbha20 (a kind of grass), etc. are particularly difficult to control because they spread by means of runners or rhizome. Swollen underground stems or tubers, such as, white patato, suranakanda21 (Amor8. Ibid., II 3:43.
9. Ibid., II. 3.4 "Ihegalia Satta udagajoniya udagasambhava......... Sevalattae...... Viuṭṭamui"
10. Bhagavati, 7.3.276; 8.3.324; Uttaradhyayana Sutra, 36.96; Pannavana Sutta I, 40 ff.; Gommatasära (Jiva), V. 189, p. 117.
11. Sūtrakṛtänga II, 3.43.
12. Salyadayo va... ..te agrabijaḥ. tathāmūlabījā ārdrank ādayaḥ, parvabijatvikṣvādayaḥ, skandhabijaḥ sallakyadayaḥ /", Ibid. (Comm.), p. 94.
13. Gommaṭasāra (Jivakända ), V. 186. (Comm.), p. 16.
14. Sūtrakṛtānga II. 3.43. (Comm. ); "Parvabījāstviksväday. ", p. 94. "Skandhabijāḥ Sallakyadayaḥ" Ibid. II. 3.43 (Comm. ), p. 94.
15.
16.
17.
18. Pannavana, I. 1.45, p. 19.
Ibid.
"Tumbi", Pannavana, I, 1.45, p. 19.
19. Bhaddamuttha (a species of cyperus), Bhagavati Sūtra, 7.3.277; 8.3.324.
20. Pannavaṇa I. 47, p. 20; Bhagavati Sūtra, 21.2.91.
21. Gommṭasara (Jiva), V. 186. ( Comm.), Bhagavati 7.3.277; 8.3.324; Pannavaṇā, 1.54. 53, p. 22; Uttara 36.98; Biology, p. 174, C. P. Villee
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