> I, >• 



that foimcl in Aspleniiun r.ijcntini bj Sadeueck ('V), ie 

 very difforeno froin tliat deGcribod b;; CL'jnphell ('Qri p, 

 325) foi' t}ie Leptosporangiate^in general, go xar ac one 

 can judge from tlio descrip' ion alone. It Ig very evident 

 that, as Bower Iuig sn/Tjected, th.ere ig gree/ nccu o^ de- 

 tailed v/orl. on the origin of the meristem layers in the 

 various o:-g;'.ns of the Ferns. Many of the accomts at pres- 

 ent availai;le, of the development of the petiole and lar.i- 

 ina are very unsatisfactory becy.uGe of llie lack of de- 

 tails in both descriptions and figures. 



Tlie sporocarp is cey"tainly to be considered as a 

 brcinch. of the leaf, since it is derived from the apical 

 cell of the leaf. Tlie second sporocarp is usually a 

 branch, of tlie first and hence a secondary brcinch of the 

 lea.f, v/liile the third may in ;. like mc^jmer be v: t-.-tlrr-- 

 branch. In the shape of its apicalcell and of th.e segiieniG 

 cut off from this, the sporocaiTp igrees exactl;- ivit.h -'ho 

 leaf, while in the primary divisions of the segment g , 

 it differs from the leaf onl-' in the interpolation of one 

 extra section dorsal to the marginal cell. Tlie c psule, 

 so far as its developm,.. ^-ves m- clue, is homologous 

 Y/itli the petiole only of the IcLif . Tliere is no indication 

 from this source tliat the sporoca-x con+ains tmything 

 homologous with the Icimina of Uie leaf. The out -growth of 

 the superficial cells c. .... ventralside _ ulo, 



