STAUROPTERIS 



339 



homosporous sporangia or microsporangia. A year 

 previously a case had been observed in which spores 

 were found germinating inside an isolated sporangium, 

 the stages agreeing with those found in recent Ferns. 1 

 Subsequently, similar stages of germination were de- 

 tected in typical sporangia of Stauropteris oldhamia, 

 establishing a strong presumption that this plant also 

 was a true homosporous Fern. 2 Some of the germinat- 



Fig. 128. — Stauropteris oldhamia. Four germinating spores from the interior of a 

 sporangium. All four are putting out rhizoids. In C (lying horizontally) an addi- 

 tional cell has been cut off between rhizoid and spore. X 335. S. Coll. 2215. Drawn 

 by Mr. L. A. Boodle. 



ing spores are shown in Fig. 128. All four have sent 

 out rhizoids, cut off by a wall from the body of the 

 spore, and in C another cell has been cut off above the 

 rhizoid. In the light of these observations there is 

 no longer any reason to doubt that Stauropteris was 



1 Scott, "Germinating Spores in a Fossil Fern-Sporangium," New 

 Phytologist, vol. iii. 1904. 



2 Scott, "The Occurrence of Germinating Spores in Stauropteris 

 oldhamia," New Phytologist, vol. v. 1906. I am indebted to my wife, Mrs. 

 D. H. Scott, F. L. S. , for much help in these observations. 



