RELATIVES OF THE FERNS 51 



L. cevnuiim, is very remarkable owing to the 

 fact that it closely resembles the mature form 

 of another club moss, an Austrahan kind known 

 as Phylloglossum. The point is interesting as 

 an instance of the close relationship between 

 many plants which at the present time appear 

 to be diverse species. 



In the case of the Selaginella it is note- 

 worthy that two kmds of spores are produced. 

 The sporangia are situated in the axils of the 

 leaves and, as a rule, the microsporangia are 

 uppermost, and the megasporangia are lower 

 down on the shoot. In the former processes a 

 large number of very minute spores are pro- 

 duced, whilst in the latter there are but four 

 of a larger size. With the large spores the pro- 

 thallus is partly formed in the megasporangitmi 

 before being shed. These are responsible for 

 the egg cells. The shedding of the small spores 

 is followed by the formation of an antheridium, 

 or male organ. This produces a few sperma- 

 tozoids, those active little bodies whose business 

 in life is to seek out the egg cell and perform 

 the business of fertilisation. In the Water Club 

 Mosses {Isoetes) there are again two kinds of 

 spores, and the general manner of procedure is on 



