MUSCI 



143 



104). The archegone has somewhat the form of a very long-necked flask. 

 The wall of the venter or ventral portion, which is ovoid and supported 

 on a short stalk, consists of two layers of cells, while the elongated neck, 

 which is often somewhat twisted, is composed of from four to six rows 

 in a single layer. The interior of the venter consists of a single large 

 cell, the central cell, which divides into two by a horizontal septum ; the 

 lower segment contains the oosphere, 

 and the upper segment becomes the 

 ventral canal-cell, while the neck is 

 penetrated by a single axial row of 



 ^ -i:. 







J 



Fig. 108. — A, anther'id of^ Fiinaria 

 hygroinetrica, discharging anthe- 

 rozoids, « (x 350). B, anthero- 

 zoid of Polytrichnm ; b, still 

 enclosed in mother-cell ; c, free 

 (x 800). 



Fig. 109. — Ftinaria hygrometrica. A. longitudinal 

 section through female inflorescence ; a, arche- 

 gones ; b, perichaetial leaves (x 100). B^ arche- 

 gone ( X 500) ; b, venter and central cell ; h, neck ; 

 VI, opening of canal. C, openmg of neck (more 

 highly magnifiedX with stigmatic cells forced open. 



cells which deliquesce into mucilage before impregnation. An open canal 

 is thus left, through which the antherozoids penetrate to the oosphere ; 

 the terminal stigmatic or lid-cells of each row of the neck, constituting 

 together the stigma, being forced apart by the exudation of the mucilage. 

 The first archegones are formed from apical cells of shoots. 



