PROF. F. О. BOWER ON APOSPORY AND ALLIED PHENOMENA. 307 
vegetative growths from sporangia in the Kew cultures, and the recognition of the fact 
that many of them assume a massive, almost ovoid, form, and considerably larger deve- 
lopment than those shown in figs. 5, 10, 11, it would appear that Mr. Druery is correct in 
his suggestion that his pseudo-bulbils are only different in degree, and not in kind, from 
the other less massive growths from the sorus; in fact, it seems probable that, under 
certain more favourable circumstances, presumably culture at low temperatures, the plant 
would produce substitutionary vegetative growths of larger size and more massive struc- 
ture; these would be the “ pseudo-bulbils " of Druery, which might be regarded as reser- 
voirs of nutriment to be ultimately used up in forming the prothalloid growths described 
by him (7. с. р. 359). They may well be compared with those massive growths which 
will be described below as occurring in Polystichum angulare, var. pulcherrimum. 
From the observations above detailed it is placed beyond doubt that in this variety of 
Fern there may be a direct transition from the sporophore to the oophore by purely vege- 
tative growth, and without the intervention of spores ; to this the term apospory is applied : 
further, that the oophores thus produced, though they are at first abnormal in form, are 
still functionally true oophores, that they produce antheridia and archegonia, which are 
functional, and that the final result is the production of new sporophores similar to the 
original. Thus in this case the spore-stage may be excluded from the life-cycle. Whether 
it is permanently excluded, and whether its permanent exclusion is followed by any 
weakening or other effect on the stock, remains to be seen when repeated cultures have 
secured numerous repetitions of these singular phenomena. 
Polystichum angulare, var. pulcherrimum, Padley. 
The species P. angulare is well known as being an extremely variable one, so that it 
has long exercised the ingenuity of collectors. Among the very numerous described 
varieties many are recognized as producing ordinary sporophoric buds on the fronds, and 
this is made use of, together with other characters, asa distinguishing feature in collecting 
varieties such as aristatum, proliferum, prolif. Footii, prolif. Wollastonii, «с. But 
apparently all these afford merely repeated examples of one and the same phenomenon, 
the formation of sporophoric buds on the frond. The peculiarities of the var. pulcherrimum 
are of an entirely different order, and deserve a detailed description. 
According to Mr. G. B. Wollaston (Gard. Chron., Dec. 19th, 1885, p. 780) the variety 
described as Р. angulare, var. pulcherrimum, Padley, was first found by the Беу. С. 
Padley, more than twenty years ago, in North Devon ; and it has been in cultivation since 
that period, a very fine plant being in the possession of Mr. Wollaston. и was from this 
specimen that the chief supply of material for this investigation was derived. 1% might 
be thought that abnormalities so extraordinary as those to be detailed below are merely 
isolated and solitary sports; and in this connection it is of great interest to note that 
similar abnormalities have been observed on plants found recently by Dr. Wills near Chard, 
in Dorsetshire, a district sufficiently removed from the first-named locality to make a near 
lineal descent seem improbable. This variety (P. angulare, var. pulcherrimum, Padley) 
