74 



COMPOUND ORGANS OP PLANTS. 



stem; this difference is owing to the peculiar functions 

 assigned them. They surround the antheridia or male organs 



Fig. 30. 



mi 



of the plant, which are the analogues of stamen, together 

 with certain cellular filamentous bodies called paraphyses 

 (Ttaga^vaij, an offset), which are considered to be abortive 

 antheridia. Fig. 31 is a magnified view of an antheridium 

 a, which is composed of quadrangular cells c, each of which 



