202 



COMPENDIUM OF GENERAL BOTANY. 



tion. Among mosses the sexual generation (Gr) is prominent, it 

 forms the independent green plant ; the asexual generation ( U\ 

 which forms asexual spores, does not even have an independent 

 existence ; it exists, so to speak, as a parasite upon the leafy moss- 

 plant forming the sporogonium (moss-capsule, spore-fruit). 

 Among vascular cryptogams the large leafy plant constitutes the 

 asexual generation, while the minute green, short-lived structure 

 called \hQprothallium, represents the sexual generation upon which 

 the archegonia and anther idia are formed. 



In regard to the structure of the sporangium of mosses, I w T ill 

 state that the capsule of most liverworts contains spores in the 

 internal axial space, while in the leafy mosses the spore-bearing 



area takes a more periphe- 

 ral position, that is, between 

 the sterile central column 

 (columella) and the wall of 

 the capsule. For the present 



FIG. 125 T. Funaria liygrometrica. 



Three stages of the developing sporogonium 

 (//'); bb, ventral portion, h, neck, of sporo- 

 gonium. The base (bb) forms the calyptra 

 c(C). (A X 500, B and O X 40.) (After Sachs.) 



FIG. 125 II. Funaria hygro- 

 metrica. 



A, Shoot bearing an immature sporo- 

 gonium, 0, with calyj)tra c , upon 

 the capsule. B, Nearly mature sporo- 

 gonium; /, capsule with calyptra c; 

 s, seta (stem). C, Longitudinal sec- 

 tion of sporogonium; cc', columella; 

 s, spore-forming layer; /i, air-cavity; 

 a, the ring (annulus) below the lid 

 (operculum); p, "peristome." (After 

 Sachs.) 



we will omit further particulars. Figs. 125 I and 125 II, as 



