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columella, and the space between it and the sides of the theca is filled with sporules. 

 Sporitles in germination protruding confervoid filaments, which afterwards ramify, and 

 form an axis of growth at the point of the ramifications. 



Affinities. These little plants, which form one of the most interesting 

 departments of Cryptogamic Botany, are distinctly separated from all the 

 other tribes by the peculiar structure of their reproductive organs, in which 

 they resemble no others, except some Hepaticse, which, however, approach 

 them in this respect more in appearance than in reality. In their organs 

 of vegetation they are strikingly similar to many Lycopodiums, which are 

 always to be known by their vascular axis. The reproductive organs have 

 been described above as of two kinds. Those which are called axillary 

 BODIES have been supposed to be anthers; with how little reason will be 

 clear from the following extract from Dr. Greville and Mr, Arnott's excellent 

 memoir, published in the 4th volume of the Transactions of the Wernerian 

 Society, to which I refer those who are desirous of minute information upon 

 the structure and history of Mosses. 



" What the organs really are, in the plants under review, which the 

 accurate Hedwig so well figured and described under the name of stamens, 

 we leave to others to decide ; but we cannot help entering our protest against 

 those bodies called Stamina and Pistilla (the young thecae) being regarded in 

 a similar light with the same organs in more perfect plants. ' Though,' 

 says Sprengel, ' I have formerly been a zealous advocate for Hedwig's 

 Theory of the Fructification of Mosses, it has nevertheless appeared to me 

 an insurmountable objection, that the supposed anther can again produce 

 buds and strike roots, which is certainly the case with regard to the disks of 

 Polytrichum commune, Bartramia fontana, Bryum palustre, undulatum, 

 cuspidatum, punctatum, and with those of Tortula ruralis. In Bryum ar- 

 genteum we see the buds containing the supposed anthers constantly drop 

 ofF,'strike root, and produce new plants; this I have observed myself times 

 out of number. Still more in point is the experiment first made by David 

 Meese, of sowing the stellulse of Polytrichum commune, containing merely 

 club-shaped bodies, when he found that plants came up, which in their turn 

 produced fruit. Another excellent naturalist. Dr. Roth, has made similar 

 observations with regard to Hypnum squarrosum and Bryum argenteum.' 

 He afterwards adds, — ' It is more probable, therefore, that these supposed 

 anthers are mere gemmae, produced by the superabundance of the juices, and 

 hence surrounded by succulent filaments.'" 



It is not necessary to adopt the exact conclusion at which the learned 

 botanist, whose opinions are thus quoted, arrived, to decide that these 

 axillary bodies are not stamens. He has not expressed himself in regard to 

 their nature very clearly, or perhaps he has been mistranslated ; but this is of 

 little consequence compared with the ascertained fact, that, be they what they 

 may, they are not anthers. Nevertheless, in the face of this evidence, M. 

 Adolphe Brongniart retains a belief in the sexuality of Mosses, and in the 

 male functions of the axillary bodies ; and he says, with justice, that it 

 appears from Mr. Brown's mode of describing Mosses, that he entertains 

 a similar opinion. It is to be hoped that these distinguished botanists will 

 some day favour us with a statement of the evidence upon which their deci- 

 sion has been taken ; for it is to be presumed that something beyond the 

 conjectures advanced in the article Mousses in the Dictionnaire Classique, 

 weighs down the positive testimony of those who have seen the germination 

 of the powder in the axillary bodies. Whether or not they can be called 

 gemmae, will depend upon the sense in which that term is employed. 



With regard to the theca there is now no difference of opinion, either 

 as to its containing sporules, or as to the general nature of its organisation. 



Y 



