FTTNARIA. 329 



cultivate them in saucers or shallow pots, to obtain various 

 stages in development. 



Wash part of a patch in water, to remove the soil, and 

 carefully separate the plants. Note that each plant is 

 erect and about 1 to 3 cm. high (apart from the sporo- 

 gonium, which may be 4 to 7 cm. long). 



From its lower end the stem gives off numerous branch- 

 ing brown rhizoids, the rhizoid systems of the individual 

 plants being usually densely interwoven. The leaves are 

 spirally arranged on the stem, the lower ones smaller and 

 scattered, the upper larger and more crowded at the top of 

 the stem. 



The plants are monoecious, the main axis ending in 

 a " male flower," consisting of a group of antheridia sur- 

 rounded by a rosette of spreading leaves, while a branch 

 arising from near the base, but eventually growing higher 

 than the " male flower," bears the archegonia and later 

 the sporogonium. The patch usually shows female axes 

 with sporogonia of different ages ; the ripe sporogonium 

 consists of an obliquely pear-shaped capsule borne on 

 a slender curved and twisted seta and, until nearly ripe, 

 capped by a membranous conical calyptra. 



467. Rhizoids. Mount in water an entire Funaria 

 plant, and with a brush or a needle carefully spread or 

 tease out the felted mass of rhizoids. Note that (1) each 

 rhizoid springs from a superficial cell on the lower part of 

 the stem ; (2) the rhizoid consists of a branching row 

 of cells ; (3) the transverse walls are oblique inclined in 

 various planes and curved; (4) each branch arises im- 

 mediately behind one of the transverse walls ; (5) the red 

 or brown colour of the rhizoids is due to the walls, not to 

 the contents. 



468. Surface View of Leaf of Fuuaria. Mount 

 in water a few leaves, detached from the stem lay a 

 female plant in water on a slide and scrape off some of the 

 uppermost leaves with a needle. 



Note that the leaves are sessile, with oval or oblong 

 outline, almost entire margin, concave upper surface, 



