71 



a mucilaginous thread makes its appearance, which bears at 

 its side from six to ten sessile, racemose, elliptically formed, 

 annularly curved (roules en anneau] bodies. In the imper- 

 fectly developed state of this thread the vascular bundles which 

 arose from the sides of the receptacle, encircle the thread and 

 are connected with the racemose bodies, which are the male 

 and female reproductive organs of the plant. All these state- 

 ments, which are nearly complete as to the development and 

 structure of this mucilaginous thread, are elucidated by admi- 

 rable drawings. With the further development of the inflo- 

 rescence the point of the thread quits the involucrum and is 

 unrolled to a straight erect thread, which on each side bears 

 from three to five of the organs of reproduction. The end of 

 the thread is always naked ; it is composed of an extremely 

 delicate and almost transparent cellular tissue, the cells of 

 which abound in mucus and contain some very minute sphe- 

 rical globules. 



The reproductive organs are from 2 to 3 lines long and 1 

 thick, enveloped in a kind of mucous membrane ; they contain 

 two different kinds of bodies, which are said to be ovules or seed 

 and anthers. In general they occur in the same organ, the 

 ovules on one side, the anthers on the other, but so arranged 

 that the ovules are constantly situated above and the anthers 

 immediately beneath. In each single organ are from ten to 

 fifteen ovules, which exhibit at one end a small yellow wart 

 surrounded by a circular prominent capsule. The ovules are 

 filled with a semi-transparent fluid, in which numerous glo- 

 bules float ; the wart of each ovule is always directed towards 

 the anther. The anthers are formed of a transparent membra- 

 nous sac, in which are evident numerous pollen granules of 

 spherical and elliptical form, which when crushed give out 

 spermatic granules of great tenuity. The sexual difference be- 

 tween the two bodies described, the ovules and the anthers, is 

 completely confirmed by M. Fabre's observations. The im- 

 pregnated ovules emit roots and germinate with one cotyledon. 



These observations on Marsilea pubescens are, especially at 

 the present time, of particular interest ; I am inclined to be- 

 lieve there can be no doubt that these reproductive organs 

 must be regarded as modified leaves, and that here therefore, 

 in a case where spores and pollinic vesicles are formed in the 



