Edgerley. — Prothallia of Three New Zealand Lycopods. 107 



reproductive brandies differ from the ordinary vegetative branches also 

 in being thicker. Antheridia and archegonia are developed on the same 

 branch, but the antheridia are first formed. A branch about to bear 

 antheridia becomes club-shaped, and the antheridia are formed near the 

 apex, though the apical cell is not used up in their formation (fig. 35). 

 Owing to the rapid division of cells, the antheridia come to lie on the 

 upper surface. The formation of 

 antheridia may continue for some 

 time, but eventually archegonia are 

 formed at the apical end. In 

 the antheridial branch the lower 

 vegetative portion is infected with 

 the fungus, only a few cells im- 

 mediately below the antheridia 

 being free from it. From the cells 

 of the lower surface rhizoids 

 spring, as in the ordinary vege- 

 tative branches. 



The paraphyses in L. Billardieri 

 consist of three cells, each con- 

 taining a nucleus and rather 

 scanty protoplasm. The basal cell 

 is often smaller than the others, 

 and the apical cell usually becomes 

 narrower at its distal end. Each 

 arises by the division of a surface 

 cell into two, the outer of which 

 divides again. In only one para- 

 physis was a tendency to branching 

 seen, where a small protuberance 

 had been formed on one side of the 

 lowest cell. In the small number 

 of cells of which the paraphyses 

 are composed, and in their in- 

 frequent branching, they differ 

 strikingly from L. phlegmaria and 

 L. Selago, in both of which branch- 

 ing of paraphyses is common, and 

 the number of cells may reach 

 nine or twelve. 



Antheridia arise, as in other 

 species of Lycopodium, from single 

 cells which divide into an outer 

 and inner cell ; the outer cell gives rise to the cover cell, and the inner 

 to the mass of spermatazoid mother cells. 



Development is the same as in other species, and the mature antheridium 

 does not project above the surface. The antheridia may arise so close 

 to one another that they are separated only by a single plate of tabular 

 cells. There is no doubt that in this case the spermatazoids escape 

 by the disintegration of a single cap cell, since when the spermatazoids 

 have escaped the remaining portion of the wall of the cap cell becomes 

 vellow. The development of the spermatazoids was not followed in 

 •detail. 



Fig. 34. — Young reproductive branch of 

 L. Billardieri, bearing antheridia and 

 young vegetative branches, v.br, vege- 

 tative branch ; an, antheridia ; p, 

 paraphyses. X 82. 



