244 



PROTONEMAL DEVELOPMENTS OF MOSSES. 



BY 



H. Wager, A.R.C.S., 

 Professor of Botany, Transvaal University College, Pretoria. 



With 2 Text Fir/ares 



Read J ul v 15, 1921. 



A new moss from Port St. Johns has just been named by 

 Mr. Dixon as Nanobryum Dummeri gen. and sp. nov. An inter- 

 esting feature of this moss, although not necessarily specific, lies 

 in its protonema. Instead of being entirely filamentous it shows 

 an advance in the direction of a flat prothallial structure, that is, 

 some cells bv lateral division form small flat cellular portions 

 (Fi°\ 1). The celis so formed apparently retain more especially 

 the power of filamentous division so that irregular and peculiar 

 shapes are sometimes produced. Also, no specialised growing points 

 are found. Buds are produced on the sides of these formations 

 as well as on the filamentous portions. This growth takes place 

 from anv part of the protonema and quite often from exposed 

 parts of rhizoids. 



FIG. 1. 



