BRIEPER ARTICLES. 
AN HERMAPHRODITE GAMETOPHORE IN PREISSIA 
COMMUTATA..’ 
(WITH ONE FIGURE) 
THE reproductive organs of most of the Marchantiacez are borne on 
specialized receptacles known as gametophores. So far as I can learn 
there has been no instance recorded of the two sex organs being found 
onthe same gametophore. In a recent study of Preissia, however, I 
discovered this phenomenon. 
The normal archegoniophore of Preissia is hemispherical in shape, 
the archegonia being situated on the lower surface. The tissue 
adjacent to the archegonia is compact and is made up of small cells 
rich in protoplasm. The tissue in the upper part, however, is muc 
looser and the cells are larger. The antheridiophore is discoid, with 
the upper surface slightly concave, in which the antheridia are sunk. 
The tissue, particularly that surrounding the antheridia, is much looser 
than that of the female receptacle, and the cells are somewhat larger. 
The shape of the hermaphrodite gametophore from which the 
accompanying illustration was made clearly indicates that it is primarily 
an archegoniophore, but it is modified to adapt it to its peculiar condi- 
tions. The upper part is more strongly developed than normally, and 
is irregular in form. The archegoniophore at maturity has a long 
stalk, but as the material from which this section was made was put up 
in the fall the stalk had not yet elongated. On the under surface os 
_ Shown a portion of one archegonium, the neck having been cut off in 
sectioning. In the upper portion of the gametophore are two well- 
developed antheridia, corresponding almost exactly in shape and sizé 
to those occurring in normal plants. Their structure is also the same- 
Their position in the gametophore is very similar to that which they 
*Miss Townsend discovered this interesting case of an hermaphrodite ere 
phore while engaged in the regular course of advanced work in comparative morp’ : 
ogy, and it was at my suggestion that she has prepared it for publication.— GEO. ** 
ATKINSON. : 
360 ecient 
