190 . BOTANICAL GAZETTE [SEPrewpeR 
Three or four successive series of receptacles may often be seen 
on the same plant (figs. 1, 3). The youngest of these appear as 
crescentic regions at the growing point, with only the posterior edge 
slightly elevated above the thallus (figs. 1, 4). Whether more than 
one series of receptacles arise in one year was not made out with cer 
tainty, but I am inclined to believe that one series may be formed 
in each of the two rainy seasons that occur in Jamaica each year. 
Not infrequently a receptacle is found which extends up each branch 
from the point of forking of the thallus. This is due to the division 
of the growing point into two after the formation of antheridia has 
begun. The series of antheridia from the two growing points are 
clearly distinguishable in the young receptacle (fig. 5). 
The older receptacles, after the ripening and discharge of their 
antheridia, become somewhat shriveled and brown, but finally dis- 
appear only with the progressive decay of the plant from the base 
(figs. 1, 3). ; 
THE ANTHERIDIUM. 
The mother-cell of the antheridium is first distinguishable when 
it is but a few cells back from the initial of the thallus, but the exact 
age or portion of the segment from which it arises was not determined. 
It is first recognizable because of its greater size and the darker staining 
of its contents, by its failure to divide by perclinal walls as early as 
the surrounding cells, and finally by the gradual separation of ils ” 
lateral walls from those of the surrounding cells (fig. 6). This sepa- 
ration of the lateral cell-walls begins at the outer surface, and om 
before it is completed the surrounding cells begin to push upw 2 
more rapidly than the antheridium itself, and soon close in above It 
to a narrow pore (figs. 6, 8, 9, 13). Thus each antheridium finally 
comes to lie in a long-necked, flask-like cavity in the male receptacle 
From the cells lining this cavity, club-shaped unicellular hats are 
formed, which probably secrete the abundant slime that completely 
fills the older cavities around the antheridium and oozes on - ie 
neck of the ‘cavity (figs. 8, 9, 13). In paraffin sections this pre 
with the imbedded hairs, has the appearance of a shrunken cell | 
jacket. The similar mass of slime in the archegonial cavity 
GorrscHE (’58, jig. 16) to describe this mass as a structureless 
brane, bearing hairs. 
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