MUSCI. 



37^ 



to the female receptacles, while the habit of the male receptacles is altogether 

 different. In the former the archegonia and antheridia occur either close to one 

 another at the summit of the stem in the centre of the envelope {PerichcBtium), 

 either in two groups, or separated by peculiar enveloping leaves, and the antheridia 

 stand in the axils of these arranged in a spiral, surrounding the central group of 

 archegonia. The form of the perichsetium is, in the female and bisexual receptacles, 

 that of an elongated almost closed bud, formed by several turns of the leaf-spiral. Its 

 leaves are similar to the foliage-leaves, and become smaller towards the interior, but 

 grow all the more vigorously after fertilisation. The male perichaetium consists of 

 broader firmer leaves, and is of three different forms ; usually it is bud-shaped, and 

 resembles that of the female receptacle, but is shorter and thicker, its leaves often 

 coloured red, and decreasing in size towards the outside ; receptacles of this type are 

 always lateral. Secondly, the male perichaetia are sometimes shaped like capitula, and 

 are, on the contrary, always terminal on a stouter shoot and globular ; their leaves are 

 broad, sheathing at the base, thinner and recurved at the upper part ; they become 

 smaller towards the interior, and leave the centre of the receptacle, with the anthe- 

 ridia, free ; these receptacles are sometimes borne on a naked pedicel, a prolonga- 

 tion of the stem {Splachnuvi, Tayloria). Finally, the male perichaetia are sometimes 

 discoid and consist of leaves which are very different from the foliage-leaves ; they are 

 broader and shorter, expanded horizontally at 

 the upper part, delicate and of a pale green, 

 orange, or purple colour ; they are always smaller 

 the nearer the leaf-spiral approaches the centre ; 

 the antheridia stand in their axils [Mnium, Poly- 

 trichum, Pogonatum^ Dawsonid). The para- 

 physes stand between or by the side of the sexual 

 organs ; in the female receptacle they are always 

 articulated filaments ; in the male, fiUform or 

 spathulate, and consisting, in the upper part, 

 of several rows of cells. 



The Antheridia are, when mature, stalked 



ics with a wall consisting of a single layer of 



ills containing chlorophyll - granules, which 



)wever, in the ripe state, assume a red or 

 fellow colour. In the Sphagnaceae and in Bux- 



lumia the antheridia are nearly spherical, but 

 all other Mosses of an elongated club shape. 

 tn the Sphagnaceae they open in the same 

 manner as in the Hepaticae ; in the other orders 

 by a slit across the apex, through which the 

 antherozoids still enclosed in their mother-cells 

 are discharged as a thick mucilaginous jelly. 

 The interstitial mucilage dissolves in water, and 

 the antherozoids escape from their mother-cells and swim about free. 



The careful investigations of Leitgeb show that the morphological significance 

 of the antheridia is very various. In Sphagnum the mother-cell of the antheridium 



B b 2 



FIG. 254. 

 ridium bursting, 



hygrometrica ; A an anthe- 

 the antherozoids (x 350); B the 



antherozoids more strongly magnified, b in the 

 mother-cell; c free antherozoid of Polytrichtim 

 (X800). 



