250 PHYLUM VIII. BRYOPHYTA 
tures whose interior cells produce sperms, which escape 
from the antherid through a rent in its wall. Each 
spermatogenous cell contains one spirally coiled sperm, 
which, when set free, swims by means of its two long cilia. 
442. The archegones are elongated, flask-shaped bodies 
with a swollen base (‘‘venter’’) and a long slender 
neck. At maturity the neck has an open channel from 
its apex to the base, where there is a rounded egg. In 
some mosses the antherids and archegones are inter- 
mixed in the same ‘flower,’ but in other cases they 
occur upon different parts of the same plant ( monoe- 
cious), or even upon different plants (dioecious). 
/e 
Fie. 125.—Antherids and Fie. 126.—Archegones and eggs 
a: ~~ and (Sphagnum and Funaria). 
443. The act of fertilization requires water; but as the 
sperms are very minute, a dewdrop .may be sufficient. 
The sperms swim to the open neck of the archegone, 
down which they pass to the egg. The egg now begins 
to divide rapidly, growing upward, eventually forming 
the sporophyte. In most mosses the sporophyte is 
narrow and elongated below, forming a stalk (seta) 
which supports the upper spore-bearing part (the capsule 
or spore-case). The epidermis of the latter is usually 
provided with stomata, especially toward its basal part. 
444, The spore-case, when ripe, usually opens by a 
lid which falls off, leaving a round opening, generally 
fringed with many teeth. In most species as the sporo- 
