100 A MOSS PLANT. 



(if the plants are dioecious, as is often the case in 

 mosses) may be distinguished by the expansion of the 

 terminal leaves, thus giving the ends of the plants some- 

 thing of the appearance of inverted umbrellas. Also 

 the clusters of reddish-brown antheridia on the ends 

 of the sterns may often be seen. Archegonial plants 

 are less distinctly marked. They have the leaves so 

 arranged as to enclose the tip of the stem, and their 

 presence is often indicated by the development of the 

 young sporophytes from the tips of some leafy shoots. 



The sporophytes may develop quite early, and ripe 

 spores from them may be scattered and begin a new 

 life-cycle early in the spring. Specimens of antheridial 

 and archegonial plants, and of young and mature spo- 

 rophytes should be collected and preserved in alcohol 

 or formalin. Plants with mature sporophytes should 

 also be preserved dry, from which ripe spores can be 

 collected and sown on moist earth in the laboratory, 

 since the young stages desired can be easily grown. 

 Some specimens of antheridial and archegonial plants 

 and immature capsules should be prepared for sectioning. 

 GROSS STRUCTURE. 



Observe: 



1. The vertical stem; usually unbranched. 



2. The leaves which are borne by the stem: how attached to 

 it. 



3. The rhizoids. 



4. The different way in which the leaves are arranged at the 

 tip of the stalk. 



5. On some plants, the sporophyte with slender stalk, seta 

 bearing the capsule. 



6. Draw. 



