ON THE STUDY OF THE MOSSES. 



n. 



DEVELOPMENT. 



IN the last chapter the material and apparatus required 

 for the collecting and study of these plants were treated 

 of. In the present I purpose giving some account of the 

 development of mosses. 



Mosses are cellular plants, having distinct stems, leaves, 

 and roots (the Sphagnums, or bog-mosses, are exceptional, 

 as they do not possess roots) ; they have a capsular fruit, 

 and are developed from spores (scedlike contents of ripe 

 capsule, fig. 2, i), or gemmae (cellular bodies capable of be- 

 coming plants fig. 2 d). 



'el 



FIG. 2 

 a, stem 



2. i, spores of moss. 2, "gemmiform state of Aulacomnion andrqgynum ; 

 ; b, stalk ; c, gemmae. 2 d, one of the gemmae detatched and magnified. 



The spores are minute, round, cellular bodies, varying in 

 size, colour, and external marking, and are composed of 



9 



