22 The Fekx Lovkr's Co.mpaxiom 



arranii'cd in each case as to form a tul)e around the central 

 cell, which is called the oosphere, or egg-cell, the point to 

 l)e fertilized. When one of the entering antherozoids 

 reaches this point the desired change is effected, and the 

 canal of the archegoniuni closes. The empty oosphere 

 hecomes the cjuickened 6os])ore. who.se newly begotten 

 plant germ unfolds normally by the multiplication of cells 

 that become, in turn, root, stem, first leaf, etc., while the 

 prothallium no longer needed to sustain its off.spring 

 withers away.* 



Fern jjlants have been known to s])ring directly from 

 the ])rothallus by a budding ])rocess apart from the organs 

 of fertilization, showing that Nature "fulfills herself in 

 many ways."t 



Veknation 



All true ferns come out of the ground head foremost, 

 coiled up like a watch-spring, and are designated as "fiddle- 

 heads,"' or crosiers. (A real crosier is a bishop's staff.) 

 Some of these odd young growths are covered with "fern 

 wool," which birds often use in lining their nests. This 

 wool usually disappears later as the crosier unfolds into 

 the liroad green blade. The development of plant shoots 

 from the bud is called vernation (Latin, ver, meaning 

 spring), and this unifjue uncoiling of ferns, "circinnate 

 vernation." 



* In the accompanying illustration, it should be remembered that 

 the reproductive parts of a fern are microscopic and cannot be seen 

 by the naked eye. 



t The scientific term for this method of reproduction is upogamy 

 (apart from marriage). Sometimes the prothallus itself buds 

 directly from the frond without spores, for which process the term 

 (ipcispory is used. (Meaning, literally, withovit spores.) 



