REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS OF MUSCI. 373 
appear to be in this case abortive archegonia (fig. 822). The 
archegonium or female organ is a flask-shaped cellular body with 
a long neck, the whole somewhat resembling an ovary with its 
style and stigma (jig. 822). The neck is perforated by a canal 
which leads into a cavity, at the bottom of which is a single 
cell, called the germ or embryonal cell. The case of the arche- 
gonium is called the epigone. This germ-cell appears to be 
fertilised, as in Ferns, by the antherozoids passing down the 
canal until they reach it. In the case of Mosses, however, the 
fertilised germ-cell does not directly develop a new plant like 
its parent, but after fertilisation has taken place, the germ-cell 
becomes gradually developed into a somewhat conical or more 
Fic. 823. Fic. 824. Fig. 825. Fie. 826. 
Fig. 823. Coscinodon pulvinalus. sp. Sporangium 
enclosed in the calyptra. t. Seta or stalk, 
v. Vaginule. From Henfrey. Fig. 824. 
The Hygrometric Cord-moss (/unaria hygro- 
metrica). jf. Pericheetial leaves. p. Stalks 
or sete, each of which supports a sporan- 
gium, wu, covered by a calyptra, ec. Fig. 825. 
Sporangium of the Extinguisher-moss (F7- 
calypta vulgaris) before dehiscence. wu. Spo- 
rangium covered by a transparent calyptra, 
c, and supported on a seta, s. Beneath the 
calyptra is seen the lid or operculum, o. 
Fig. 826. The sporangium, uw, of fig. 825 after 
dehiscence. The calyptra c, and operculum oa, 
being removed, the pevistome, p, may be seen. 
or less oval body (fig. 823, sp) elevated on a stalk, ¢, and as it 
grows upwards it bursts the epigone, and carries one portion of 
it upwards as a kind of hood (fig. 824, c), while the other por- 
tion remains below as a sort of sheath (fig. 823, v), round the 
stalk. The central portion, formed by the development of the 
embryonal cell, is called the sporangiwm (figs. 824, uw, and 825 
w); the stalk the seta (figs. 824, p, and 825, s); the hood the 
calyptra( figs. 824, c, and 825, c) ; and the sheath at the base the 
vaginule (fig. 823, v). 
The sporangium, or capsule, as it is also termed, when fully 
formed, isa hollow urn-like case (figs. 827 and 828, w), the centre 
of which is usually occupied by a cellular axis, called the colw- 
mella (fig. 829), and the space between this axis and the walls 
