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ON THE REPRODUCTION OF MOSSES AND FERNS. 



By J. Burton. 



(Read October 19th, 1906.) 



It is to my mind always desirable as far as possible to avoid 

 technical terms, especially in botany, which, probably with good 

 reason, appears to have a bad reputation for uncouth terminology. 

 I have, therefore, endeavoured in the present paper to adopt the 

 simplest language consistent with accuracy, and by " mosses and 

 ferns " wish to indicate those plants which would be so named by 

 any unscientific person. It will, however, be as well in the first 

 place to point out the position of these plants in the vegetable 

 kingdom, and to refer briefly to their relationships. Both belong 

 to the great division known as the Cryptogams, the word implying 

 that the sexual aspects of their reproduction are hidden or un- 

 known, and though correct enough at the time when it was 

 bestowed, the term is now no longer appropriate in that sense, 

 at any rate for the greater part of the class. The lower groups 

 consist of the Algae and Fungi, with which we are not dealing ; 

 then come the Bryophyta, more or less moss-like plants, many of 

 them well known to microscopists on account of the number of 

 interesting objects which they afford ; and finally, the Vascular 

 Cryptogams, one section^ of which is the ferns, as popularly under- 

 stood. In point of histological structure these last show a great 

 advance on the others. Of course, there is considerable variation 

 in details, but, large as are the two divisions and numerous as 

 to species, notwithstanding great differences in the plants them 

 selves, the organs of reproduction are very similar throughout*; 



* This is especially true of the female organ, known as the " arche- 

 ium." 



Journ. Q. M. C, Series II. — No. 60. 1 



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