FRUCTIFICATION, 61 



archegonia. The antheridia may be best examined 

 in Polytrichum piliferum or commune, the patches 

 of stems with red rosette-like heads (figs. 25, 26) be- 

 ing readily found in the spring on open heaths. The 

 coloured leaves forming these heads differ in form 

 from those of the stem, being broader and very sharp- 

 pointed, and have received the distinctive name of 

 perigonial (irepl, around, 701/09, offspring) leaves. In 

 the centre of these leaves, which must be separated 

 with mounted needles in a drop of water, the anthe- 

 ridia (fig. 27), forming oblong cellular green sacs, will 

 be seen ; and intermingled with them will be found 

 some slender pale filaments, composed of mostly two 

 rows of cells, which are the paraptiyses (TrapdQvais, 

 a side growth). If the antheridia are quite ripe, they 

 swell somewhat in the water, and from the free or 

 unattached end a very delicate, colourless, cellular 

 mass gradually escapes. If the antheridia are not 

 quite ripe, the mass must be liberated by dissection. 



On carefully examining this mass under a high 

 power, it will be seen to consist of very delicate 

 rounded cells (fig. 3 a), each containing a coiled fila- 

 ment, revolving more or less rapidly. After a time, 

 these filaments (fig. 3 b) escape, so that they may be 

 examined more minutely. They are excessively de- 

 licate, and are best seen when dried on the slide. 

 Each consists of a very slender curved filament, with 

 a still finer filament, or cilium, arising from it on 

 each side. These are the spermatozoa or spermatd- 

 zoids (a-Trippa, seed, fcoov, animal, eZSo?, resemblance). 



In Fundria the antheridia (fig. 37) may also be 

 found, by careful examination, in the little green 

 heads terminating some of the stems (fig. 41, of 

 the natural size). In this moss, the paraphyses are 

 inflated at the summit into little knobs, or they are 

 capitate (fig. 37). The pistil-like organs of mosses, 

 or the archegonia, from which the capsule is formed, 

 must be looked for in the winter or early spring. 



