LESS. XVI ASEXUAL KKTRiJlHCl lON 171 



containing nuclei, and endoplasm containing the green chromatophores ; 

 C*, the same at the commencement of germination. 



d', early, and D^ later stages in the development of the gonads, the 

 spermary to the left, the ovary to the right ; D*, the fully-formed 

 spermary {spy) and ovary {ovy), each separated by a septum {sep, sep') 

 from the filament. 



D*, the ovary after dehiscence, showing the ovum (ov\ with small 

 detached portion of protoplasm ; D*, sperms ; D*, distal end of ripe 

 ovary, showing sperms {sp) passing through the aperture towards the 

 ovum {ov). 



D^, the gonads after fertilisation, showing the oosperm {osp) still 

 enclosed in the ovary and the dehisced spermary. 



e\ oosperm about to germinate : E^, further stage in germination. 



(C^ and c*, after Strasburger ; d^ and c*, after Sachs ; D and E, after 

 Pringsheim. ) 



character of a membrane lining the cellulose coat. 

 Numerous small nuclei occur in the protoplasm, as well as 

 oil-globules {0), and small, close-set, ovoid chromatophores 

 {chr) coloured with chlorophyll and containing starch. 



Thus a Vaucheria-plant, like a Mucor-plant, is non-cellular : 

 it is comparable to a single multinucleate cell, extended in 

 one dimension of space so as to take on the form of a 

 filament. 



Various modes of asexual reproduction occur in different 

 species of Vaucheria : of these we need only consider that 

 which obtains in V. sessiiis. In this species the end of a 

 branch swells up (d) and becomes divided off by a septum 

 {sep), forming a sporangium {spg) in principle like that of 

 Mucor, but differing in shape. The protoplasm of the 

 sporangium does not divide but separates itself from the 

 wall, and takes on the form of a single naked ovoidal spore 

 (c^, c^), formed of a colourless cortical layer containing 

 numerous nuclei and giving off cilia arranged in pairs, and 

 of an inner or medullary substance containing numerous 

 ohromatophorcs. 



The wall of the sporangium splits at its distal end (c^), 

 and the contained spore {sp) escapes and swims freely in the 



