1914] Mccormick— sympiiyogyna aspera 403 



into pure xylol, was imbedded in paraffin and cut, usually, 5 /x 

 thick. Safranin and gentian violet, safranin and lichtgriin, and 

 Haidenhain's iron-alum hematoxylin were the stains used. 



Thallus 



Symphyogyna aspera (figs. 1 and 2) has a rhizome-like portion 

 which closely adheres to the soil, and from this rhizome arise 

 somewhat inclined aerial branches. Goebel (15), in his descrip- 

 tion of S. sinuata, states that the winged shoots can again decrease 

 at the apex and become stolons, but usually they conclude their 

 growth after reaching a definite medium size, and then at their 

 base they form a ventral lateral shoot which continues the growth 

 as a stolon, subsequently rises above the substratum, broadens 

 out, again forms a dorsiventral shoot, and so on. His illustration 

 of 5. sinuata shows a chain of five such generations. In S. aspera 

 no indications were noted that the apex of the thallus may act as a 



stolon, but growth by a basal stolon is characteristic of this species 

 also. 



Rhizoids are very abundant, forming thick mats upon the 

 ventral surface of the rhizome and parts of the aerial branches in 

 contact with the soil. As has been previously noted, especially 

 by Bolleter (2) in Fegatella conica and by Clapp (7) in Anew a 

 pinguis, the ends of the rhizoids are curiously branched, twisted, 

 and often greatly enlarged (figs. 3 and 4). The branched ends often 

 tightly surround particles of foreign material. If there are cross- 

 walls near the ends of the rhizoids they must be quite rare, for none 

 were observed in the material examined. 



Fungi are abundant, especially in the rhizoids (figs. 5 and 6). 

 A favorable view gave indications that the fungus had penetrated 

 the tip of the rhizoid (fig. 6). The fungous species could not be 

 determined from the preserved material, but evidently more than 

 one species is present. Some hyphae are large and abundantly 

 septate (fig. 5), and other hyphae are quite small, so that the 

 septations, if present, could not be distinguished. Fungi have been 

 frequently reported among liverworts, especially by Leitgeb (26), 

 Kxy and Bottger (24), J. Peklo (30), Golexkix (16), N£mec 

 (28 and 29), Cavers (5), Janse (21), Garjeanne (13 and 14), 



