230 VEGETABLE ORGANOGR Al'HY. 



lists have thought that the capsules of Ferns were kinds 

 of bisexual flowers. Muratti was the first who main- 

 tained the hermaphroditism of the flowers of these 

 plants. Hill and CEder have thought that the ring of 

 the sporangium was the organ which contained the 

 fecundating fluid. Gartner and Mirbel have main- 

 tained that each of the globules contains, in its young 

 state, the fecundating fluid and the ovules. This opinion 

 is founded, not upon direct observation, which would be 

 impossible, but upon the analogy of the Ferns with the 

 Marsileaceffi, and upon the presumed necessity of fecun- 

 dation. 



Lastly, Bernhardi has expressed a new opinion upon 

 the nature of the sexual organs of these plants : he 

 thinks that the male organs are little bodies of a glan- 

 dular appearance, sessile upon the small scales which are 

 observed upon the upper surface of the leaves ; that the 

 ovaries of the female organs, situated in clusters on the 

 lower surface, have kinds of styles which pierce the 

 tissue of the leaf, and terminate in the pores on the 

 upper side, performing the part of stigmata. In support 

 of this opinion, he remarks that the points which he 

 supposes to be globules of pollen, are situated at the ex- 

 tremity of vessels which appear stronger, and conse- 

 quently more important than the neighbouring ones; 

 that the scales are first of a yellowish brown colour, 

 afterwards pale, and fall off, as anthers do ; that the 

 globules of pollen may pass along the upper surface of 

 the leaf, as far as the points which appear to perforin 

 the function of stigmata. Bernhardi found species where 

 the organs which he regards as males, are situated upon 

 different leaves ; such as, for example, Onoclea Stru- 

 thiopteris and 0. crispa, the sterile leaves of which are, 

 according to him, the males; but in the greatest number 

 of observed genera, as Poly podium, Polystichum, Cyathca, 



