70 PHARMACEUTICAL BOTANY 
mucilaginous substance which fills a canal extending from the 
outside opening (mouth) to the ovum. 
wees PE 
gas 
7 LEE 
ae 
ror 
‘4 
NA 
isa 
Rs 
< 
sparerss Ne 
8 sr taale Wis re 
ATTA ERE Be 
SET eee SiG 
a0y7, saps 
J 
¥ 
4 
Fic. 38.—4, under surface of a fern prothallium showing archegonia (f), 
antheridia (m) and rhizoids (r); B, immature archegonium showing binucleate 
neck canal cell (n.c.c.), ventral canal cell (v.c.c.), and egg (e); C, mature arche- 
gonium showing sperms (s..) moving through neck canal (n.c.) toward ovum (e); 
and venter (v). All highly magnified. 
During wet weather the mature antheridial wall bursts 
open and the many ciliated spermatozoids escape into the water. 
These, moving in the water, are drawn by the chemotactic 
