108 OUTLINES OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY 



of germination of this spore in typical cases (Fig. 54) is 

 marked by the division of the nucleus into two. Around one of 

 these two cytoplasm collects to form a naked "antheridial cell " 

 (m} ; the other, with the remainder of the cytoplasm, constitutes 

 the " vegetative cell " (k), which may or may not divide again. 

 The antheridial cell divides into two " generative cells." The 

 vegetative cell, or cells, represents the last vestige of the 

 body of the male prothallus ; the generative cells are male gametes. 

 The germination of the pollen grain and development of the 

 male prothallus are completed by 

 the putting forth of the pollen tube 

 (Fig. 53, ps, Fig. 54), which takes 

 place if the pollen grain is fortunate 

 enough to alight upon the stigma of 

 a flower of the right kind. The 

 pollen tube forces its way through 

 the loose tissue of the style to the 

 ovary and comes into intimate rela- 

 tions with one of the ovules contained 

 therein. 



The female gametophyte is repre- 

 sented by a few cells formed by 



FIG. 54.-^ermination of the division of the ^gaspore (embryo 



Pollen Grain of Lilium sac), or rather of its nucleus, and to 



martagon, x 375. (From some extent of its cytoplasm, within 



Strasburger, after ,, i mi " 



Guignard.) the ovule. The process is a some- 



*, nuctena of the vegetative ceil of what complicated one, but, without 



Stt^^^^Sa g in g in t details ' we ma y note that 

 by division of the antheridial at the time when the ovule is ready 



for " fertilization " the embryo sac in a 



typical flowering plant (Angiosperm) contains seven cells, one of 

 which is a female gamete (ovum or oosphere), while the others 

 may be taken to represent the female prothallus, including a 

 vestige of an archegoniuni. The arrangement of these cells is 

 shown in Fig. 55 (at, c, k, s). 



The embryo sac or megaspore (E) is surrounded by a cellular 

 layer known as the nucellus (Fig. 55, K), which represents the wall 

 of the sporangium, and this in turn by two other coats (ai and ii), 

 the outer and inner integuments of the ovule, which grow up 

 around the nucellus. The entire ovule is attached to the wall 

 of the ovary by a stalk or funiculus (/), upon which it is 



