CRYPTOGAMIC FRUCTIFICATION. 



to 



in its aggregate mass, aiid even tlie individual 

 seeds by the assistance of the microscope. The 

 former must liave been often seen though not 

 attended to by ancient botanists ; and the latter 

 are said to have been first discovered by Cole 

 and Swammerdam, about the year 1C70, as well 

 as distinguished from the capsules in which they 

 are contained. It was still possible, however, that 

 these naturalists might have been mistaken, as 

 ferns had not yet been propagated by the sowing 

 of their seeds. But the experiment was at last 

 instituted in the year 1789, by two English 

 botanists, and the result was, in each case, con- 

 formable to expectation, ferns being obtained 

 from two respective sowings. The reality of 

 fern seed being thus shown, the next object of 

 the botanist was that of the discovery of the 

 parts of the flower which had produced the seeds, 

 the existence of wliich was inferred from ana- 

 logy. But in pursuit of this object, it cannot be 

 said that botanists have even yet been completely 

 successful. For although Hedwig, that most 

 able and accurate of all investigators, has indeed 

 detected the parts of the flower in a variety of 

 families, or at least, organs, which he presumes 

 to be the constituent parts of the flower ; yet, 

 there seems to be still some considerable degree 

 of doubt among botanists with regard to the 

 value of some of his conjectures, and a conse- 

 quent want of acquiescence in the legitimacy of 

 some' of his conclusions. But where the parts 

 of the flower have not yet been detected, the 

 botanist can at least direct his attention to the 

 mode of fructification, and to the fruit produced. 

 In some families, the fructification is placed near 

 the root, as in the pilularia and isoetes, which 

 are generally regarded as ferns, though the parts 

 of the flower are so obvious as to render it doubt- 

 ful whether they should not be transferred to 

 the class of conspicuous flowers, rather than to 

 that of the cryptogamic. In the pilularia the 

 flowers issue from the bosom of the leaves, which 

 spring from the root, and consist of a receptacle 

 or calj'x, anthers, and pistils, ascertainable by the 

 aid of the microscope ; the seeds being small 

 and globular bodies lodged in the receptacle, 

 covered with a fine membrane. In the isoetes 

 the flowers are immersed in the base of the leaf 

 or frond, and consist also of a receptacle or 

 calyx, anthers, and pistils, as seen by a good 

 magnifier, the seeds being small globular bodies, 

 lodged in a capsule. In the iaxrniy Lycopodivm, 

 the parts of fructification issue from the axis of 

 the leaves (or are axillary); they exhibit, how- 

 ever, no parts exactly analogous to stamens or 

 pistils, but consist of kidney-shaped capsules 

 containing many minute seeds. In the family 

 Equisetum,, the fmctifications consist of a suc- 

 cession of whorls of target-shaped substances, 

 attached horizontally, and condensed into a club- 

 like spike, terminating the stem ; these targets 



being considered by Hedwig as fonning each a 

 calyx to the under surface, of which are attached 

 several tubular cells containing stamens and 

 pistils, and ultimately, upon becoming capsules, 

 containing the seed. 



5^. In Ophioglossum and Os- 



munda, in which the fmc- 

 tifications are also in spikes 

 issuing ft'om a leaf, the 

 same botanist hasdiscovered 

 what he regards as both 

 stamens and pistils. The 

 capsules,ho wever, are easily 

 discerned, being of a globu- 

 lar figure, aiTanged in two 

 rows, and opening cross- 

 ways when ripe, with many minute seeds. In 

 the former, the spike is simjjle ; in the latter, it 

 is branched. But, in by far the greater number 

 of ferns, the flowering parts are in the back of 

 the leaf, as seen in fig. a. 



In these also, Hedwig discovered what he be- 

 lieves to be the parts of the flower; not indeed, 

 including any thing like the calyx and corolla, 

 but stamens and pistils only. If a frond of any 

 of the dorsiferous ferns, as they are teimed, is 

 taken at a very early period of its growth, and 

 cai-efully unfolded, there may be seen, with the 

 assistance of a good microscope, dispersed over 

 its under surface, but chiefly over that of the 

 mid-rib, and sometimes also over the upper sur- 

 face, a number of small globular bodies, which, 

 when put into a drop of water, and placed under 

 a high magnifying power, are found to consist 

 of a small pedicle supporting a minute globule, 

 filled with a gi-anulated mass. These Hedwig 

 regards as stamens, partly from the analogy of 

 their figure, and partly from their disappearing 

 in the mature state of the plant, as the stamens 

 in other plants disappear before the fruit ripens. 

 The pistils he describes as globules, sitting or 

 supported upon pedicles, which are ultimately 

 converted into the capsules that contain the seed; 

 but without specifically determining the stigma. 

 Bemhardi, a later writer than Hedwig, and an 

 observer of great accuracy, has introduced a dif- 

 ferent theory, founded upon a diflferent view of 

 the subject. He regards the white speck dis- 

 coverable upon the upper surface of the frond, 

 which is opposite to the black spot or patch, 

 on the under surface, as the stigma of the dor- 

 siferous ferns ; and the small globular bodies 

 situated on the edge of the frond, as the 

 stamens. The fruit is, however, easUy distin- 

 guishable by the aid of a microscope, each indi- 

 vidual consisting of a capsule, surrounded by an 

 elastic and jointed ring, 6, opening transversely 

 when ripe, and discharging the sporules c, con- 

 sisting of small minute globules. The fruits of 

 all these ferns are so nearly alike in aspect, as 

 to present few distinctive characteristics to the 



