FUNARIA. 



mounting it on a dry slide, and breathing on it, then 

 letting it dry again. Note also that the seta of the ripe 

 capsule is wavy and twisted ; put a drop of water on the 

 ripe capsule, so that it can run down the seta the latter 

 becomes untwisted, swinging round and of course carrying 



Fig. 80. FDNA.RIA. Part of a Transverse Section of the Capsule, showing a 

 portion of the Annulus (above) and two pairs of Peristome Teeth (below). 



the capsule round with it. The effect of sprinkling a little 

 water over a patch of fruiting plants is often very striking ; 

 as the seta dries again, its movements are reversed. 



(d) Note that the operculum is very readily detached 

 from a quite ripe capsule. Around the rim of the oper- 

 culum, there are several rows of radially elongated and 

 narrow cells ; these are part of the annulus, a ring of 

 tissue which separates the operculum from the rest of 

 the capsule- wall. If fruiting plants are kept under ob- 

 servation, the annulus may be seen to separate from 

 the ripe capsule as a strip of tissue which curls up with 

 the concave side outwards, leaving the operculum free 

 to fall off. 



