MOSSES AND FERNS , 11 



light, and its cells manufacture foods as do the 

 leaves of the higher plants. At certain points on 

 the under surface two kinds of bodies are formed, 

 with exactly the same names and the same 

 functions as those that grow at the top of the leafy 

 moss plant. The archegonium is much the same 

 shape as in the moss, but the antheridium is more 

 flat and rounded. The sperms, as in the moss, must 

 have moisture in which to swim to the archegonium. 

 The t^^ at the bottom is fertilized just as in the 

 moss. 



c. Development of Sporophyte and Formation of 

 Spores. The fertilized ^^^ divides, and the four 

 cells formed by the first divisions develop into the 

 parts of the new plant. Unlike the moss embryo, 

 the fern embryo does not depend long for 

 nourishment on the small gametophyte. As soon as 

 its growth causes it to break out of the small cavity 

 of the archegonium, it begins to develop roots that 

 take hold of the soil and leaves that manufacture 

 food for further growth. Furthermore, instead of 

 stopping with a small seta and capsule, growth 

 continues in the fern sporophyte until we frequently 

 have a rather large plant with roots and numerous 

 handsome leaves. Later in the season these leaves 

 produce on their under surfaces the spores with 

 which we started. 



5. Comparison of Moss and Fern. It will be seen from 

 the above that the moss and fern follow very much the 

 same course of development in their life cycle: spore 

 germination; development of the plant that bears gametes; 

 formation of gametes; fertilization; development of the 

 embryo into another generation of the plant wholly 

 different in appearance from the gametophyte; the 

 development of spores by this new generation 

 (sporophyte); the escape and germination of the spores. 



