CH. XI] 



THE TRUE MOSSES 



489 



from a special ring, the ANNULTJS \_ jeneath the 



is the PERISTOME. which is a circle, sometimes two, of Hi- 



versely marked slender teeth the spore case proper is a cham- 

 ber which surrounds a central COLUMELLA, while outside of 

 the chamber occurs always some chlorenchyma. When__tl 

 ^spores are ripe, the operculum is forced 

 off hy f.TiP a willing nf f. M ^ annulus. leav- 



ing the capsule open except as guarded bv 



"the peristome; and the movements of 



th ft string 1 y ^ygr-os^pin t^tlT thereof 



both j)ejmit-~~aadr---atd the~ ejection of- 

 the spores,. All these features of the 

 spore capsule, and especially of its peri- 

 stome, show remarkable diversity in 

 details of construction and ornamentation 

 in the different species (Fig. 347), pro- 

 viding indeed another instance of ap- 

 parent specialization far beyond bounds 

 of utility. The spores are disseminated 

 by wind, and on reaching a suitable 

 place, eej 



ate int 



fib 



mentous, green protonema. 

 j)ear_J)uds, wherjfp. grow \ 

 stems, while new rhizoids 



IP wi-tinnl FlG ; 3 f;~? T pore 



Capsule of the Moss, 

 enter the Splachnum vasculo- 



At the 



of these stems, sometimes on the same specialization ; x 65. 

 but often on differenT~oiies, appear (From Kerner -) 

 elongated arche^oniaand antheridia! In" the antheridia 



ed . many 'two-cilia te spiral tree-swimming sperm 

 cells, which probaBTy reach the vicinity of the archegonia 

 rFspIashing water drops. The opening archegonium_puts^ 

 jorth substances attractive to the sperm cells T of which the 

 first to enter the neck effects fertilization of the egg cell. 

 From this oospore develops the new sporogonium. 



As a whole the Mosses are rather uniform in habit. A 

 few species live in water (Fontinalis species), and are cor- 



