Die unterscheidenden Merkmale zweier Pflanzen können zuletzt doch nur auf Differenzen in der Beschaffenheit und Gruppirung der Elemente beruhen, welche in den Grundzellen derselben in lebendiger Wechselwirkung stehen.
The differentiating traits of two plants can, in the end, only depend upon differences in the constitution and grouping of the elements that stand in vital interaction in their foundation cells.
differentiating = unterscheidenden Sherwood has “distinguishing”, we follow Bateson who uses the same term here that he elsewhere uses for “differirend” (see p. 5, s. 5). Unterscheiden does mean “to distinguish”, so Mendel is referring to traits in their taxonomic sense here.
constitution = Beschaffenheit See p. 24, s. 4.
elements = Elemente See p. 41, s. 6.
vital interaction = lebendiger Wechselwirkung Sherwood has “dynamic interaction”, we follow Bateson. Sherwood’s translation is probably due to the conviction that gained traction in twentieth-century genetics that genes themselves are not alive, even though they are determinants of life.