282 SELECTED NOTES. 



his British Moss Flora (August, 1889), see Fig. 14. These 

 gemmae appear to consist usually of seven cells, with rather 

 strongly thickened cell walls of a fuscous colour. These gemmae 

 occur in such numbers on the upper leaves as to give them a 

 distinctly reddish appearance, so that in this particular instance 

 their presence can be instantly detected by the naked eye. Some 

 authors refer to the buds as " propagula." The scars are plainly 

 visible with a one-fifth objective when the gemmae have been 

 detached. 



In Tortilla papulosa these gemmae are borne upon the nerve, 

 within the boundary of the lamina, see Fig. 15, and remind one 

 somewhat of Globergerina. In Georgia pellucida the gemmae are 

 lentiform, and are accompanied by paraphyses. In this particular 

 instance the gemmae are regarded as altered antheridia, or male 

 organs, see Fig. 16. Paraphyses are nearly always found accom- 

 panying and intermingled with the antheridia of mosses, and are 

 usually regarded as being modified or abortive antheridia. They 

 are also met with in the Ascomycetes and many other divisions of 

 Acrogens. In Aiilacomjiium androgynum these gemmae are borne 

 on a separate stem like the capsule. 



There is yet another method of reproduction known. In 

 Leucobryiun glaucum it is common to find a tuft of radicular 

 tomentum developing a cluster of new plants, which, falling to the 

 ground, grow to a new colony, and thus compensate for the rarity 

 of the fruit, see Fig. 17. This species is the only representative 

 of the tribes found in Europe. 



The Leaves of Mosses are objects of great interest, and 

 present some curious modifications, such as, I think, cannot be 

 equalled or paralleled in any other class of plants. The leaves 

 of Pterygophylliim lucens (Fig. 22) form very good objects for 

 amateur photography. In the Polytrichacece many of the species 

 bear vertical laminae on their leaves, see Fig. 18, and this is also a 

 great help in the determination of species. 



The members of the tribe Fissidejitacece present a remarkable 

 divergence from the ordinary type. According to Braithwaite the 

 leaves are " Scalpelliform, the upper basal part conduplicate and 

 amplexicaul." In simple language, the tribe is characterised by a 

 wing uniting with the laminae, forming a keel-shaped leaf which 



