PHYSIOLOGY AND MORPHOLOGY OF CALH-'ORNIA HEPATIC^ 21 



sempervt'rcns, Almis rhomhifolia^ Salix lasiolep/'s and other 

 trees which afford abundant sheUer for a variety of shade-loving 

 plants. Here also thrive several species of mosses and liver- 

 worts that in less favored localities would either die or pass into 

 a dormant, air-dry condition. 



Fegatella occurs throughout the length of the canon on both 

 banks of the creek, though most abundantly on the south side 

 where there is a minimum of direct sunlight and evaporation. 

 Five trips were made during tiie past season for at least a dis- 

 tance of three miles toward the head of the canon and each time 

 a diligent search was made for fruiting plants which were found 

 in but few, very limited areas, where the exposure was north or 

 northeast. It was observed that no fruiting plants were to be 

 found in places void of sunlight, and the same was true when 

 the plants grew within six or eight inches of the water's surface 

 in light of the same intensity as fell upon nearby fruiting plants. 

 Plants bearing receptacles in greatest number were found on a 

 flat elevation about eighteen inches above the water in a break 

 between trees through which fell a flood of strong, diffused 

 light and at midday direct sunlight. This level bed of Fega- 

 tella was bathed constantly by seepage of spring-water from a 

 moss and fern grown cliff forming the background, upon which 

 were found a few fruiting plants of Fegatella and Aneu7'a -pln- 

 giiis. Wherever fruiting plants occurred, it was noted that the 

 combined conditions of light and moisture were relatively about 

 the same. In places where there was strong light but insuffi- 

 cient moisture the plants were observed to wither, and when 

 these conditions were reversed there was always a strikingly 

 vigorous vegetative development, some individual plants meas- 

 uring ten or more inches in length. 



The lime of fertilization of our California plants is not defi- 

 nitely known. The antherozoids are discharged during March 

 and April and receptacles still containing intact antheridia have 

 been found in some of our canons as late as August. 



In England, according to Cavers,^ the receptacles begin to 

 develop in early spring but do not mature until about the end of 

 June, while the earliest stages in the development of the sporo- 



' Loc. cit., p. 98. 



