54 



without fusing, very much enlarge so as to form the placental cell of 

 nucleus. At the same time the remaining cells in the same chain 

 having the fertilized auxiliary cells cut off branches consisting of many 

 minute cells in every direction which come in contact with sterile cells 

 of vegetative portion, either by fusion or by pit-formation. These 

 branches spread out at the bottom of the cavity ot cystocarp which 

 is now gradually developing. They serve on one hand as a medium 

 supplying nourishment for spores developing through the placental 

 cell of the nucleus, and on tl\e other as a tissue sustaining the 

 placental cell loaded with spores. From the placental cell goniino- 

 blast is formed which is faintly divided into a number of gonimolobes, 

 and in almost all articulations of spore-filaments, spores are produced 

 almost at once. 



Cystocarps, when fully formed, are globular ard scattered over 

 branchlets, two or more heaping at the same place. Thick pericarp 

 which is not furnished with carpostome is formed by the local growth 

 ot the cortical portion of frond, internally composed of plexus of 

 filaments lining the inner wall of pericarp, externally of anticlinal 

 rows of cells. Nucleus is globular and is faintly divided into certain 

 number of nucleoli. There is no special network surrounding the 

 nucleus and spores are set free by dissolution of pericarp. 



PL. LXIV. Fig. 1 : fertile frond of Hyalosiplionia coespitosa 

 Okam. n. g. and sp., in nat. state and size. Fig. 2 : growing apex of a 

 branch, .showing the formation of the cortical layer, highly magd. 

 Fig. 3: portion of a longitudinal section of a young branch, 3 ^"\ 

 Fig. 4 : cross section of a young branch, R 1 . Fig. 5 : portion of the 

 cross section of an older portion of a branch, S 1 . Fig. 6 ' por- 

 tion of the cortical layer, --"j. Fig. 7: tetrasporangium, 2 ~. Fig, 

 8 : longitudinal section of a branch showing auxiliary cell-branches ; 

 a, axis, ' 4 j--. Fig. 9: auxiliary cell-branch, magd. 



