CONFERVOID FILAMENTS OF MOSSES. "7" 
branches. This I have drawn on PI. LVII. fig. 12. The precise point from which the 
roots (true) are given off I have not observed. In PL LVII. fig. 13, the filament 
from which this ascending axis sprang is tinged with brown. This is not a necessary 
point; I have seen it arise from cells of the most distinctly marked Confervoid type. 
This mode of development is frequently to be met with, and seems to hold an analogous 
position to the buds on the creeping stems of Phanerogamous plants. 
The next plan to be described, by which these filaments assist in reproduction, is that 
which has been described by Kiitzing as the " peculiar fruit " of the Protonemea*. They 
are, however, by no means confined to the filaments, but can be found on any part of 
the plant except the spore-frond (sporange and peduncle). They are found at the end 
of a branch of a filament whose cells, instead of elongating, become broader, the whole 
assuming the form of a club, containing 5 to 8 cells. The cell-walls become thickened, 
and the green granular contents closely approximated. After some time the cell-walls 
assume a reddish-brown colour, which becomes darker by age. Segmentation sometimes 
takes place in a direction parallel with the axis of the filament, or even irregularly 
(PI. LVII. fig. 4«). When the cell-wall has assumed a full brown colour, the green 
colour of the contents becomes fainter, and at last they are frequently transform «-d into 
oil-granules, after the manner of the formation of the oily contents of the hypnospores 
of Volvox and other Algse. When these gemmae have become quite brown, they easily 
separate from the filament and become free. They occur at all times of the year, but 
are most observable during drought. When they are excited to grow, they begin to 
shoot out into a confervoid filament, generally from the extremities, although sometimes 
each ceU may push out a branch laterally. At PL LVII. figs. 4 a, 5, 15 a, PL LVIII. 
fig. 23 b, are shown these " gemma?." No doubt these are " resting gemma," one of the 
means by which the life of the plant is preserved during severe trials of drought and 
cold *. 
They have been caUed gemmae, and considered the homologues of the gemmae (bulbils, 
&c.) of the higher plants ; but although they are subservient to the reproduction of the 
parent, yet the ascending axis does not immediately spring out of them, but, as has been 
already remarked, they sprout out into confervoid filaments first, from any one of the com- 
ponent cells, which then pass on to the formation of the ascending axis, as above noticed. 
They differ, therefore, from the bulbils in not possessing a true « stirps" within them- 
selves. It seems that we should rather consider each as a resting compound powidum, 
the reason for which will be more apparent as we proceed to the consideration of the 
single-celled gonidium itself. 
But this is not the only method by which the confervoid filaments are reproduced : any 
one of the cells, detached from the other, is capahle of continuing the growth of the fila- 
ment, in the same manner as each is capahle of doing it whilst forming part of t he filament, 
by branching and division, as I have before noticed. And there is a great tendency for 
these cells to separate from each other, more particularly in the older filaments (see 
PL LVII figs 4 b, 10, 11, 12, 11, 15) ; but whether old or young, they may bulge out 
* 
Schimper. 
idea may be formed of the single gonidium. 
XXIII 
4 
