94 Transactions. 



Art. XL — The Prothallia of Three New Zealand]Lycopods. 

 By Miss K. V. Edgerley, M.A. 



[Read before the Auckland Institute, 16th December, 1914.] 



In no group of vascular cyptogams is so much variation shown in the 

 gametophvte as in the genus Lycopodium. Up to the present time the 

 species investigated include only tropical and European forms, though 

 L. cernuum and L. Selago, two widely spread species, occur in New Zea- 

 land. The present investigation deals with the following New Zealand 

 species : (1) L. volubile Forst., Prodr. ; (2) L. scariosum Forst., Prodr. ; 

 (3) L. Billardieri Spring., Monog. Lycop. 



Bibliography. 



Up to recent times the prothallia of Lycopodium were quite unknown. 

 The process of the germination of the spore in Lycopodium was first de- 

 scribed by De Bary in 1858. Then Fankhauser, in 1873, described the 

 mature prothallium of L. annotinum. Between 1884 and 1890 Treub ob- 

 tained important results. He described the prothallium of L. cernuum 

 from the germination of the spore to the formation of the young sporophyte. 

 and demonstrated the presence of a protocorm in this species. He also 

 described the prothallia of the epiphytic species L. phlegmaria, L. carina/ urn. 

 L. nummularifolium, and L. Hippuris. In 1898-99 the mature prothallia of 

 L. clavatum, L. annotinum, L. complanatum, and L. Selago were investigated 

 by H. Bruchmann, and those of L. clavatum by Lang. Later, in 1910, 

 Bruchmann added to his results. 



All the investigators mentioned above deal with European or tropical 

 species (except L. Selago and L. cernuum, very widely spread species). 

 The only mention of New Zealand species is in a paper by Mr. J. Holloway, 

 entitled wt A Comparative Study of the Anatomy of Six New Zealand 

 Species of Lycopodium,'"* where he mentions the external features of the 

 prothallia of L. cernuum, L. scariosum, L. laterale, and L. Billardieri. 



Material and Methods. 



Before going further it is advisable to say something of the material 

 and methods employed in this investigation. 



Several prothallia of L. volubile were found on the side of a bank on 

 which a mature sporophyte and several young sporophytes were growing. 

 Six of these prothallia were found attached to young sporophytes, but 

 further search of the soil around revealed a single prothallium which gave 

 no indication of bearing a sporophyte. Later this material was supple- 

 mented by abundant material collected some years ago by Mr. Holloway. 

 The earliest stages of the prothallium, however, were not obtained ; even 

 the smallest examined already bore sexual organs. 



The prothallia of L. scariosum was also gathered by Mr. Holloway, and 

 in this case again all the • younger stages were wanting, even the smallest 

 one sectioned showing the foot of a young sporophyte. 



In the case of the epiphytic L. Billardieri, part of the material was 

 obtained from Professor Thomas, and some fresh material was also gathered 

 by the writer. These prothallia were found growing on trees, in humus 



* Trans. N.Z. Inst,, vol. 42 ; p. 356, 1910. 



