100 



MANUAL OF BOTANY 



The archegonia are flask-shaped bodies, provided with a short 

 stallc and a long neck (fig. 867). The swollen portion at the 

 base is the venter and contains the oosphere. The wall of the 

 venter is continued upwards to form the neck. The axis of the 

 archegonium is occupied by a number of cells, the lowest one of 



Fig. 859. 



Fia. 860. 



/-'((/. 859. Apex of fertile shoot of Moas (^Polijtrichitm) bearing autheridia, 



flH^ and parapliyses.^ar. h Leaves of the shoot. Fig, 860. A. Autlaero- 



zoids of Moss (. X 1200). B. Antherozoids of Fern ( x 700). 



which gives rise to the oosphere and the remainder are known 

 as the neck-canal-cells. Before forming the oosphere the lowest 

 cell divides into two, of which the upper one is the smaller, and 

 is known as the ventral canal-cell. The other one is the 

 oosphere. The terminal cells of the neck separate when the 

 archegonium is mature. The neck-canal-aells and the ventral 



