122 



THI- MAR ATI I A I. IS 



cot 



prothallia, which may be detached and become independent plants; or reproduc- 

 tive organs may be developed upon them, usually only anthendia, while thev are 

 still connected with the mother plant. The prothallia are very long-lived and 

 apparently may grow indefinitely so long as the archegonia are not fecundated. I 

 kept prothallia of Mar atti a douglasu for nearly two years, during which time they 

 grew vigorously and finally reached a length of" over 2 centimeters. At the end of 

 two years there was no indication of the slightest decrease in their vigor. 



The prothallia are monoecious, although it is not uncommon to find small 

 prothallia which bear only anthendia. They are very deep green in color, which 

 together with their more massive texture makes them easily distinguishable from the 

 prothallia of the ordinary ferns, and they very often look more like such a liverwort 

 as Pellia or Anthoceros. The prothallium of Angiopteris very closely resembles that 

 of Mar atti a, hut is often somewhat shorter. I he difference in shape in the prothallia 



of the form studied by Jonkmann {A. 

 prutnosa var. Iivpolcuca) and the Cey- 

 lonese form studied by Farmer and my- 

 self may be taken as an argument in favor 

 of recognizing a specific difference between 

 these two forms. 



The archegonia in both Marattia and 

 Angiopteris, so far as my own observations 

 extend, are confined to the lower surface 

 of the midrib. Jonkmann, however, states 

 that occasionally he observed archegonia 

 developed upon the upper surface as well. I he anthendia, while more abundant 

 upon the lower sulfate of the prothallium, are quite commonly met with also upon 

 the upper surface and are not restricted to the midrib, but may be found quite near 

 to the margin. The rhizoids in both Angiopteris and Marattia are probably always 

 their walls, which are quite strongly cutinized, are dark brown in 



cm 



Two gametophytes of Angiopteris with young sporophyte 

 attached, tm, embryo; for, cotyledon. X3. 



unicellular, an< 



color. 



THE PROTHALLIUM ()!• KAULFUSSIA* 



Tl 



le pro 



thi 



lia of Kaulfussia are usually much largei than those of eithei 

 Marattia or Angiopteris. Ihcv are very massive, strongly resembling a Pr/ha or 

 Aneura. The specimens described here were collected in Java m :i small ravine 

 near the foot of the volcanic mountain Salak. I he youngest prothallia found 

 were about -5 millimeters in length and, like the older ones, were decidedly elon- 

 gated, with a deep sinus in front (fig. 90, A, B). I here were a few anthendia 

 occupying the forward part of the thick midrib, which is very largely developed 

 in Kaulfus.ua, as it is in the other Marattiaceae. I he older prothallia are relatively 

 somewhat broader and these larger ones usually bear archegonia. Only in a 

 few cases were young antheridia found upon the prothallia with the archegonia. 

 Whether this is always true could not be decided from the small number of prothallia 

 found. The antheridia in Kaulfussia seem to be strictly confined to the lower sur- 

 face of the midrib and occupy much the same position that the archegonia do. 

 After the antheridia have matured and discharged the spei mato/oids, archegonia 

 arise in the same position in regard to the apex. Unlike most ferns, the walls of the 

 empty antheridium do not become discolored, so that they are easily overlooked. 

 Careful examination of the sections of the older prothallia, however, will almost 

 always show the empty antheridia and it is probable that the prothallia are usually 



* Knulfunia Blmne = Christtnsenia Maion. 



