390 M. Miiller on the Development of Chara. 
XLVIIT.—On the Development of Chara. By C. Mituer*. 
[Concluded from p. 329.] 
§ 6. Formation of the Fruit. 
Tue origin of the fruit must be sought for in the very youngest 
whorls of branches only. J¢ there exists as one of those external 
cells which surround the central cell, and is either developed sepa- 
rately or in combination with the cells of the anther. It differs 
considerably from the latter, inasmuch as the latter is a cell pro- 
duced by intercalary growth which is evolved from the articula- 
tions of the fruit-cell and is developed downwards, the former 
being directed upwards. Whilst at this period the other external 
cells are elongating to form branches, the cells of the anther and 
fruit merely become simply rounded, containing in their interior 
a yellowish white mass with defined globular outline (the cyto- 
blastema, Plate VII. fig. 27). The development of the anthers 
always proceeds more rapidly than that of the fruit, when both 
occur together ; for they may be absent in one and the same spe- 
cies, as Ch. crinita. 
The next step in the further evolution of the fruit-cell con- 
sists in the subdivision of its cytoblastema into six parts. Jt zs 
exceedingly difficult to detect this; I was only able to sueceed by 
gently compressing the cell, whereupon all that I perceived was, 
that these globular masses had formed. These should be con- 
sidered as so many cytoblasts, hence we have one central and five 
external cytoblasts. From these as many cells are formed by the 
process with which we are acquainted, during which however the 
cytoblasts are usually perfectly absorbed (fig. 28). These six cells 
are so arranged, that the apex of each is situated externally. This 
is the first stage at which anything definite can be perceived in 
the young fruit, and although another very small cell constantly 
exists beneath the central cell, I cannot state anything more re- 
garding its formation. Suffice to say that it exists there, and is 
seen in figs. 283—32. It forms the commencement of that cell, 
which has been described above ($ 2), in the ripe fruit, and 
which is shown in figs. land 2. The statement there made, that 
it might be of importance to the existence of the spores, is re- 
markably borne out by its so early and constant presence, which 
clearly shows that it is an essential organ of the fruit. 
The five terminal cells which are arranged upon the spore-sac 
in the form of a crown are next formed, and also 8 cytoblasts, as 
may be most distinctly perceived in fig. 29. These here also be- 
come speedily absorbed, and the cells which are formed around 
them have become so firmly adherent to one another, that they 
* Translated from the Botanische Zeitung for July 3, 1845. 
