OF APOSPOEY I^- POLYSTrCHUAT AKGULARE. 



439 



every case produced at the ends of excurrent veinlets j^ro- 

 truding from the surfoce of the pinnules, well within the margin, 

 and thickening at the distance of about ^\j of an inch into a pear- 

 shaped body, from which radiated in all directions numerous root- 

 like liairs. The brown and shrivelled condition of these bodies 

 led me to the belief tliat it was essential to their full develop- 

 ment, whatever that might be, that they should at an earlv sta^^e 

 find some suitable nidus whence the hairs, assuming them to be 

 root-hairs, might obtain the needful elements for growth. After 

 a long search I was fortunate euough to find one of these bodies 

 in a young state, the pear-shaped head only being formed, and 

 the hairs just beginning to develop. I at once removed the 

 plant into a large shallow pan and pegged down the frond so that 

 the excrescence was brought into very close proximity to the soil. 



5 



i'' 



/T 



& 



1 



Fig. 1. Hydraform excrescence, nat. size, in Tolystkhum aifignlarc, rar. j)ul- 

 cherrimum, Wills.— Fig. 2. The same, magnified.— Fig. 3. Further development, 



—Fig. 4. When assuming prothalloid form, nat. size. 



showing radiatinf^flluments. 



Fi"-. 5, The same enlarged, showing incipient sinus {a) and developed roots. 



This was on September 5th, when it presented the appearance 

 shown in fi<^s. 1 & 2. On September 10th I observed that the ro ^t- 

 hairs had much developed, radiating stiffly in all directions with- 

 out any apparent bias towards the soil (Hg, 3). On October 2nd, 

 after a temporary absence, I found that some water liad been 

 spilt over the object under examination, partly burying it in soil; 

 on removing which I found that it had sent several long threads 

 from the lower end into the soil, and that the upper ones had 

 either aborted or been broken off, as nothing but short projections 

 remained. -At this date the shape had materially altered in the 

 prothallus direction, having flattened out laterally in the same 

 plane as the soil, and formed an incipient but unmistakable 



