CRYPTOGAMIC VEGETATION. 5 



Descending to particulars, we haa'C in some of the 

 ferns, as in Aspidium filix mas, each spore mother- 

 cell provided with a nucleus, and, in consequence of its 

 division, two new large clear nuclei arise, and between 

 them a line of separation is sometimes apparent. 

 After division of these nuclei, four new smaller nuclei 

 appear, the mother-cell splitting up into four spore 

 cells. In Marsilea the frond is four-lobed in all the 

 species. In Sclaginella the macrosporangia contain 

 usually four (sometimes two or eight) macrospores. In 

 mosses the number of spores produced is indefinite, 

 but they arise in fours. The capsule is entire in true 

 mosses, but in the Andreacecs the capsule splits into 

 four valves, as it does also in the Hepaficce, or liver- 

 worts. In the latter the mode of division of the 

 mother-cells of the spores into four varies ; anyway, 

 cell walls are formed, and the mother-cell breaks up 

 into four spores. 



In the Lower Cryptogamia the Lichens are pro- 

 vided with asci, which sometimes contain four sporidia, 

 and sometimes eight, or other multiple of four. In 

 Fungi the vast number of Ascomycetes, which have 

 the sporidia contained in asci, are sometimes tetra- 

 sporous, more often octosporous, and occasionally 

 some other multiple of four, such as sixteen or thirty- 

 two. The very large order of Hymenomycctes, in which 

 the spores are naked, and borne at the apex of basidia, 

 normally have four spores to each basidium. In the 

 GastroJiiycetes, or Puff-ball Family, Mr. Massee ob- 

 serves that the number of spores is not so constant 

 as in the Hynienomycctes. In the Phalloidece they 

 are from four to eight ; in Bovista, Lycoperdcvi, and 



