MOSSES. 



[ 512 ] 



MOSSES. 



in the axils of the upper leaves of the stem, 

 which terminates in a perigone containing 

 archegones ; or they have a special perigone 

 (fig. 4G9), either on the same plant, or on a 

 different one from that which bears the 

 archegones. The antheridia are globular, 

 oval (fig. 467), or elongate membranous 

 sacs composed of cellular tissue, red or 



Fig. 470. 



Fig. 471. 



Fig. 472. 



Fig. 473. 



Fig. 470. Cosoinodon pulvinatus. Capsule enclosed in 



the calyptra, with the vaginule below. 



Magn. 10 diams. 

 Fig. 471. Orthotrichum Hutchinsii. Capsule covered 



by the calyptra, with the vaginule below. 



Magn- 10 diams. 



Fig. 472. Ditto. Calyptra, Magn. 25 diams. 

 Fig. 47i>. O. stramineum. Vaginule. Magn. 25 diams. 



yellow when ripe, filled with minute cells? 

 which escape by the bursting of the apex 

 of the sac ; and these cells exhibit a fibre 

 coiled in their interior, which circulates 

 rapidly, even before the expulsion from the 

 antheridium, and after a time breaks out of 



its cell (fig. 468, and PI. 40. fig. 33), and 

 moves rapidly in the water under the mi- 

 croscope (see ANTHERIDIA). The anthe- 

 ridia are generally accompanied by cellular 

 filaments which have received the name of 

 paraphyses (fig. 23, p. 57) ; no physiological 

 office is attributed to these ; but the anthe- 

 ridia are the male organs. 



The archegone of the Mosses (figs. 30, 31 

 (p. 71), 467), like that of the Hepatic 

 (excepting Anthoceros), is a flask-shaped 

 cellular case, the epigone, containing an 

 embryonal cell at the bottom of its cavity. 

 This embryonal cell becomes gradually de- 

 veloped by cell-division into a conical body 

 elevated on a stalk, which at length tears 

 away the walls of the flask-shaped epigone 

 by a circular fissure, and carries the upper 

 part upwards as a hood, while the lower 

 part remains as a kind of collar round the 

 base of the stalk (figs. 470-472) ; the latter 

 is termed the vaginula (fig. 473) ; the cap- 

 like portion carried upwards on the spo- 

 range is called the calyptra (figs. 470-472). 

 The sporanye, elevated more or less by the 



Fig. 474. 



Fig. 475. 



Fig. 474. Tayloria serrata. Dimidiate calyptra. Maim 



25 diams. 

 Fig. 475. Funaria hygrometrica. Section of young 



capsule, showing the columella. Maan. 



50 diams. 



development of its stalk (seta or peduncle}, 

 is gradually converted by internal changes 

 into a hollow urn-like case, usually with a 

 stalk-like column (columella) running up 

 its centre (figs. 50, 475), the space between 

 the central column and the side walls be- 

 coming filled with free spores, which are 

 minute cells with a double coat, the outer 

 of which exhibits elegant markings (see 

 SPORES). In some cases this hollow case 

 does not burst naturally, but the spores 



