88 



CHAPTER II. 



PHOSPHORESCENCE IN CRYPTO GTAMIC PLANTS, 

 AND EMISSION OF LIGHT FEOM DECAYED 

 WOOD. 



PHOSPHORESCENCE has been rather more frequently 

 observed in Cryptogams than in Phanerogams. 



An emission of light has been observed in a 

 pretty little plant belonging to the family of 

 Hepaticce, which grows chiefly upon schists, and 

 resembles in miniature the royal fern (Osmunda 

 regalis). From these two circumstances, the 

 plant in question has been named ScJiistostega 

 osmundacea (fig. 9). When this plant germinates, 

 it gives birth to numerous confervoid filaments, 

 which shine in a semi-obscurity with a very sin- 

 gular luminosity. 



linger has observed, however, that spider s' webs 

 present very nearly the. same appearance, and this 

 circumstance has led some naturalists to believe 

 that the shining property of Schistotega osmun- 

 dacea may probably be nothing more than re- 

 flected light. 



