DEVELOPMENT OF PLANTS 



249 



supposed, by cane sugar, developed in the archegonium, swim 

 down the canal of the neck, and one unites with the female gam- 



Fig. 182. Development of the female gametangium or archegonium: 

 A-D, stages in the development of the archegonium from a single cell. 

 E, nearly mature archegonium just before the female gamete is formed— 

 en, canal cells. F, canal cells have dissolved, forcing open the lip cells of 

 the neck. A male gamete has entered and is seen fusing with the nucleus 

 of the large female gamete.— After Garber. 



ete, as shown in Fig. 182, F, where the two gametes are seen 

 fusing. 



(c) Germination of the Gametospore and Spore Formation. — 

 The gametospore, resulting from this fusion, becomes surrounded 

 by a cell wall, but does not function as a resting spore as in some 

 of the algae. It germinates at once and by repeated divisions of 

 its nucleus forms a globular mass of cells, the capsule, within the 

 archegonium which keeps pace with its growth (Fig. 183, A, B). 

 The wall cells of this capsule are soon distinguishable, owing to 

 their watery contents and shape, from the other cells, which are 



