392 BRowN: REGENERATION IN PHEGOPTERIS POLYPODIOIDES 
leaves of the young sporophytes, as in no case did regeneration 
take place with leaves of the older plants. It was thought of 
interest to see if the primary leaves of the young sporophytes of 
Phegopteris polypodioides Fée could regenerate in the manner 
indicated by Goebel, as apogamy had occurred so frequently in 
cultures of this fern. 
EXPERIMENTAL 
Spores of Phegopteris polypodioides were obtained from Brook- 
lin, Maine, through the kindness of Dr. A. H. Graves. Cultures 
were started in the early part of October. The spores were sown 
on Prantl’sand Knop’s full nutrient solutions and modifications of 
these solutions. After the spores were sown the cultures were 
placed before an east window. In an effort to induce apogamy the 
prothallia were not transferred to fresh nutrient solutions from 
time to time, but were allowed to develop upon the same nutrient 
solutions upon which the spores had been sown. As a result 
growth and development of the prothallia was slower and fewer 
sporophytes formed, the majority of which were apogamous.* 
The primary leaves of both normal and apogamous young sporo- 
phytes were used in the regeneration experiments. 
March 14, 1917, primary leaves 5-7 mm. in length were cut 
from the young sporophytes and placed on sand in watch glasses. 
In some cases the petiole of the leaf was inserted in the sand to 
a depth of 1-2 mm., placing the blade of the leaf in an upright 
position. In other cases the leaf was laid on the sand; while in 
still others various parts of the blades were covered with the sand. 
The sand in some of the watch glasses was moistened with Knop’s 
and Prantl’s full nutrient solutions, while in the others it was 
moistened with distilled water. All the cultures were placed in 
large plates and covered with bell jars. The sand was never al- 
lowed to dry and water was kept standing in the plates. In this 
way the air under the bell jar was always moist. 
No experiments were tried to see if the leaves would regenerate 
while attached to the young sporophytes and no such cases were 
observed among either the solution or soil cultures, although fre- 
quently the leaves of this and other species of ferns, especially in 
*Wuist, Elizabeth Dorothy. Apogamy in Phegopteris polypodioides Fée, Osmunda 
cinnamomea L., and O. Claytoniana L. Bot. Gaz. 64: 435. 109 
