72 FIRST FORMS OF VEGETATION. 
deepest and most brilliant red and purple; sea- 
green, however, being the prevailing hue. The 
fruit-vessel is as interesting and suggestive of 
marvellous reflection as that of the urn-mosses. 
It is generally supported on a very delicate silvery 
stem; and is at first round and of a dark olive- 
green colour, gradually splitting as it becomes 
ripe into two or four valves, which bear a superficial 
resemblance to the calyx or corolla of flowering 
plants. Inthe centre of this calyx-like organ may 
be seen a tuft of delicate straw-coloured hairs or 
filaments called elaters, which look like floss silk, 
with the spores or seeds in the form of minute 
yellow dust intermingled. These filaments are 
spiral, highly elastic, and hygrometrical, twisting 
and writhing even upon the field of the microscope; 
and like the spring-like ring round the fruit-vessel 
of the fern, serve by their coiling and uncoiling, in 
certain states of the surrounding atmosphere, to 
scatter abroad, even to a considerable distance, 
the powdery seeds imbedded among them, This 
is a very curious and wonderful piece of mechanism, 
and highly deserving of microscopical examination. 
The formation of the fruit-vessel is preceded by 
the development of antheridia and pistillidia, which 
demonstrate the existence of distinct sexes in 
these plants. They are produced on different 
places in different species, being imbedded in the 
