176 MOSSES AND FERNS chap. 



many times longer than the terminal cell, and is divided into 

 many cells. 



The account of the development of the antheridium given 

 by Hofmeister and Schimper is incomplete, and differs in some 

 respects from that of Leitgeb. Neither of the former observ- 

 ers seems to have clearly recognised the presence of a definite 

 apical cell from the first. Schimper ( ( i ) , p. 45 ) , states that 

 after the stalk has been formed four rows of segments arise 

 from the terminal cell; to judge from the somewhat vague 

 statements of Hofmeister ((i), p. 154), it appears that he re- 

 garded the terminal growth as taking place by the activity of 

 a two-sided apical cell, as in other Mosses. Leitgeb states that, 

 while this form of growth does frequently occur, usually the 

 divergence of the segments is not exactly half, and the segments 

 do not stand in two straight rows, but some of them are inter- 

 calated between these, forming an imperfect third row. Each 

 segment is first divided by a radial wall into nearly equal parts, 

 and these are then divided into an outer and an inner cell, and 

 from the latter by repeated divisions the sperm cells are formed. 

 The body of the full-grown antheridium is broadly oval, and 

 both in its position and shape recalls strongly that of such a 

 foliose Liverwort as Porella. 



The development of the spermatozoids has been carefully 

 followed by Guignard ((i), p. 69), and corresponds in the 

 main with that of the Hepaticse. A peculiar feature is the 

 presence of a pear-shaped amylaceous mass, firmly attached to 

 the posterior coil. This becomes evident at a very early stage 

 in the development and remains unchanged up to the time the 

 spermatozoids are liberated (Fig. 91, D). The vesicle in 

 which it is enclosed collapses, leaving only the large starch 

 granule, which finally becomes detached. The free spermato- 

 zoid has about two complete coils, and in form recalls that of 

 Chara. The cilia are two and somewhat exceed in length the 

 bodv. 



The ripe antheridium is surrounded by a weft of fine 

 branching hairs, which Schimper suggests serve to supply it 

 with moisture.^ It opens by a number of irregular lobes (Fig. 

 91. C), precisely as in Porella, and, like that, the swelling of 

 tlie cells is often so great tliat some of them become entirely 



^ These are probably the hyphce of a fungus. 



