1X. | ABOUT MOSSES AND LICHENS. 141 
sters of an experimental turn of mind, on account of 
their extreme resistance to damp. If the hand be 
rubbed over with these spores it may be plunged 
into water without wetting the flesh. One species 
(L. alpinum) is used in Iceland for dyeing wool 
yellow. 
The true mosses (J/uscz) differ from the Club- 
mosses in possessing wo vessels—they are entirely 
cellular in their structure. They are either erect or 
creeping plants; if the former they are unbranched, 
if the latter branched. At the apex of their stems 
they bear the reproductive organs—Archegonia and 
Antheridia. When the archegonium has been fer- 
tilised by an antherozoid, it develops its nucleus, 
which grows into an urn or capsule, covered by the 
calyptra, which is the remains of the archegonium. 
Within the capsule the spores are contained in the 
form of exceedingly fine powder, which may be car- 
ried great distances by the wind. Fig. 102 shows the 
calyptra covering the sforange, shown in fig. 103. Of 
is the oferculum or lid, which opens when the spores 
are ripe and sets them free. In many species the 
mouth of the sforange is fringed with beautiful little 
teeth, which form what is known as the feristome. 
Fig. 104 represents the antheridia (an), together with 
two cells from the same containing the curled-up 
antherozoids by which the archegonia are fertilised. 
‘They adhere to any damp surface, whether it be soil, 
_ stone, or wood, and soon germinate, giving rise to a 
thin felt-like mass of green threads. From this mass 
the plant springs, and in turn bears the reproductive 
organs. | 
