ON THE NATURE OF SPERMATIA. 299 
which been gathered by Dr. Shearer and Dr. von Moellendorff at 
Kiu kiang. It is a coaree SEs plant, with dusky wine- 1 
in Veronica 
f 
ON THE NATURE OF THE SPERMATIA. 
By Grorce Murray, 
Department of Botany, British Museum. 
Tux question of the sexuality of the eas has lately been 
brought very much under notice. Researches on the subject have 
m 
ia. Dr. a 
Entwickelungsgeschichte der Flechten ” (Heft I.), tellsus thatthe pew 
tion of the spermatium in the Lichens is, as far as his researches have 
gone, distinctly ‘sexual “This bears on the question in a very important 
manner, for in view of the bape pouene of Schwendener, de Bary, 
Bornet and ethever we must regard the Lichens as Ascomycetes, and, 
view 
regards the Lichens is upheld by his emai ut let us turn to 
the ced oicecmate of M. Cornu. Ei Cornu asserts that by cultivation 
atia 
the sighs of fo pa jal ee in sugar solutions), but in 
reproducing Ascomycetes from spermatia alone. So far the results of 
r. Stahl’s and M. Cornn’s investigations seem very much opposed to 
must, however, remember that the nature of 
Thallophytes is a very ne, and cases are of very frequent 
currence in which not one, but several parts of the same plant are 
capable of reproducing it en, spermatia alone 
are able to Bod ere e the repucebn a plant, are oa nece y 
functions of fertilisation an peta reproduction, as the i lsage 
spores of Ulothrix zonata do in the Algw ? I should hesitate to agree to 
this, i 
rimen' 
another observer, and it will be seen that from t 
