112 FLOWERLESS PLANTS 



will take place, the hyphas, as the vegetative 

 part of the fungus is called, spreading out like 

 a network and enclosing the algse, which are 

 henceforth destined to live in captivity. 



A very large number of hchens commonly 

 adopt an even more effectual way of repro- 

 ducing their kind. A very slight acquaintance 

 with the appearance of these plants is suffi- 

 cient to show how often the grey green growth 

 is covered with a curious meal-hke deposit. 

 The rough appearance which this gives to the 

 plant is very plainly to be seen in the case of 

 the so-called Cup Moss {Cladonia), which, we 

 must admit, is rather unhappily named, seeing 

 that it is not a moss at all. Now, this coating 

 of dust really represents the second method of 

 propagation at the disposal of the lichens. It 

 is seen under the microscope to be built up of 

 green cells either singly or in groups, enclosed 

 in minute portions of hyphal threads. In plain 

 language, they are just a few algae \vrapped 

 round with a strand or so of the fungal element, 

 giving aU that is necessary for the establish- 

 ment of a fresh lichen. Their manner of dis- 

 persal is quite simple, seeing that when in a 

 dry state they are hght and easily detached 



