BRYOPHYTA 189 



Pteridophytes had been gained, although the prothallia had 

 been observed preceding the growth of the plant in Equisetum 

 and Ferns. It was not till some years after Griffith's death that 

 fuller facts as to the sexual organs were obtained and led to the 

 right comparisons. 



Griffith's work on the Bryophyta shows the same power of 

 observation as that on the ovule, but the difficulties due to 

 imperfect instruments are more evident. His views on repro- 

 duction were here, however, clear, since the development of the 

 capsule was definitely related to the fertilisation of the pistilla 

 (archegonia) by the substance formed in the anthers. His 

 figures indicate how much he saw, and how here also he sought 

 in development the interpretation of mature structure. 



His early interest in the Liverworts, especially the Marchan- 

 tiaceae, continued, and all the forms he collected were carefully 

 examined and figured with his usual accuracy. 



One of the Liverworts Griffith described may be taken as an 

 illustration to this part of our subject on account of the interest 

 of its re-discovery and re-description in 1910 by Goebel. This 

 is a plant collected in Assam and named Monosolenium tenerum. 

 This Marchantiaceous plant is described as having no air-chamber 

 layer, as bearing sessile, dorsal, antheridial receptacles, and 

 terminal, shortly stalked archegoniophores with one ventral 

 groove in the stalk. A single archegonium later capsule is 

 found in each of the half-dozen involucres. Spores and irregular 

 bodies were found in the capsule. 



Recently Goebel had two tea-plants sent home from Canton. 

 They died, but he kept the soil moist on the chance of germi- 

 nating seeds. Among a number of other plants there turned up 

 a new Liverwort. On examination this proved to be Griffith's 

 Monosolenium all types of which had been lost a most in- 

 teresting form related to the Corsiniaceae. 



In the Mosses and the Liverworts generally Griffith was 

 clear on the development of the capsule or fruit following on 

 the impregnation of an archegonium. But in Anthoceros, while 

 he recognised the antheridia he was not clear as to the sunken 

 archegonia, and regarded the capsules as arising by impregnation 

 of unrecognisable spots on the young frond or thallus. He 



