STUDIES ON THE OPHIOGLOSSACEAE. 



BY 



D. H. CAMPBELL. 



The family of the Ophioglossaceae is one of unusual interest 

 to the botanist, as there is reason to believe that it comprises 

 some of the most primitive of the Pteridophytes. It must be 

 said, however, that there is by no means complete agreement 

 among l)otanists as to the exact affinities of the group, as 

 there are a number of important structural points about which 

 further information is much needed. One of the principal objects 

 of the writer's recent visit to the eastern tropics was to obtain, 

 if possible, the gametophytes of some of the species of Ophio- 

 glossum, and also to procure material for a study of some 

 of the obscure points of structure in the sporophyte. A good 

 collection of both gametophytes and sporophytes was secured, 

 and the most important results of the study of this collection 

 are given in the present paper. Some of the specimens were 

 collected in Ceylon, where, through the courtesy of Doctor 

 J. C. Willis, the facilities of the botanical gardens at Peradeniya 

 and Hakgala w^ere placed at the disposal of the writer; but 

 much the most valuable collections were made in Java, where 

 not only were the adult prothallia of two, and possibly three 

 species obtained, but the germination of the spores was also 

 succesfully studied and the young prothallia carried much 

 further than has ever been done before. 



There is unfortunately much confusion as to the species of 

 Ophioglossum, and it is evident that the terrestrial species of 

 the Indo-Malayan region are very much in need of a careful 



