PROTHALLIA OF LYCOPODIUM IN AMERICA 

 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE HULL BOTANICAL LABORATORY 223 



Earle Augustus Spessard 

 (WITH TWENTY-ONE FIGURES) 



Since Bruchmann's great work upon the prothallia of the 

 European species of Lycopodium appeared in 1898, and probably 

 before that date, numerous attempts have been made to find 

 prothallia in America; but, so far as the writer has been able to 

 determine, no successful searches have been reported. 



While taking a correspondence course in botany with Professor 

 Charles J. Chamberlain, he suggested that I avail myself of 

 the opportunities afforded by my location in a Lycopodium region 

 and make a thorough search for prothallia. In accordance with 

 his suggestions and directions, the work was undertaken and has 

 resulted in the finding of 21 prothallia and over 50 sporelings, 

 representing 5 species: L. clavatum, L. complanatum, L. aiuiotinum, 

 L. obscurum, and L. lucidulum. It is also a pleasure to acknowledge 

 my indebtedness to Dr. W. J. G. Land for valuable suggestions. 



The first specimen, that of L. complanatum, was found May 22, 

 19 16. During the same month and in September of the same 

 year, 6 more of this species, 8 of L. clavatum, 3 of L. obscurum, 2 of 

 L. annotinum, and 1 of L. lucidulum were dug up, making 21 in 

 all. Although the first sporeling bearing a foot, which indicated 

 that a prothallium was recently present, was found on April 10, 

 1915, it was not until May 20, 1916, that a second was found 10 

 miles from it. During this interval approximately 150 days were 

 spent crawling over the ground among and around the dense beds 

 of adult sporophytes. 



At first these tedious and futile efforts would seem to indicate 

 that prothallia are rare. Yet, when it is noted that 17 of the 21 

 specimens were obtained from an area not more than 10 m. square, 

 only about one- fourth of which was actually dug up; and further- 

 more, that as many as 6 were yielded by one small space 4 cm. 

 Botanical Gazette, vol. 63] l 66 



