5^ 



BOTANICAL GAZETTE [jtJLY 



no separation in Ophioglossum, and in consequence no necessity for 

 action at a distance greater than the thickness of the spore coat. The 

 supposed semi-fluid character of the membrane at the time of its forma- 

 tion would reduce this difficulty to a minimum. 



development 



nous tissue. 



mo 



may develop at very different rates. Fig. ii, for example, was drawn 

 from a sporangium containing young tetrads and various stages of the 

 first and second divisions. Still more interesting irregularities are 



fig- 



mother 



me 



amon 



fig 



from those of the spores among which it lies. This figure afforded 

 the best opportunity observed for obtaining an approximate count of 

 the chromosomes. Owing to the way in which they are scattered, 

 most of them are sufficiently free from their neighbors to be identified 

 and counted; 102 are shown in the drawing, which represents about 

 one-half the entire figure. About as many more could be counted in 

 the sections adjacent to this on each side, thus making the gametophyte 

 number somewhat over 100. Fig, jj shows three spores within a 

 common exospore, one of which is plainly degenerating ; no trace of the 

 fourth member of the tetrad could be found. Such a structure could 

 arise from the one just discussed by the division of one of the daughter 



C) 



accom 



cytoplasm surrounding itself with a wall. " Fig. ji shows a body con- 

 sisting of eight cells, with thin outer wall and very delicate division 

 walls. The cytoplasm is dense, finely reticulated, and crowded with 

 starch, which is also abundant in the tapetal plasmodium around it, 

 though not found in the young spores in the same sporangium nor 

 in any spores until they are much nearer maturity. This might 



spores are poor m cytoplasm 



food 



their rapidly thickening walls. 



varym 



spores in the same sporangium. With 



ming's triple stain they stain uniformly with the gentian. Fig- 3^ 



same 



very large. These bodies have probably arisen from 



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I 



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