On Azolla and Salvinia. 265 



Martius* calls the capsules indusia, the indefinite mass- 

 containing secondary capsules he doubtfully considers sporan- 

 gia ; the others he calls sporangia, their contents a germinating 

 gongylus. (This gongylus Martius states to be the seed of 

 Schreber, which I have rather considered to be the secondary 

 capsule. This appears to me indicated by the statement of the 

 pericarpium being absent.) The part to which the secondary 

 capsules are attached he calls columnula. He notices the 

 articulated granule-containing filaments found among the 

 radicles, which he describes as spongioliform. 



Endlicher'sf character is much the same as that of Martius, 

 but without as much reservation regarding the nature of the 

 organs. The contents of the larger sac-containing secondary 

 capsules, which he considers the females, is stated to be a 

 solid spore ; of the others, (doubtful males,) a mucilaginous 

 matter. In a note he inclines to regard these as abortive 

 sporangia. 



These are all the accounts which I have been able to 

 consult. It appears to me singular, that the dissimilarity of 

 the organs so specially noticed by Schreber, should have 

 been overlooked by subsequent authors, prior to the ap- 

 pearance of Martius's beautiful work. It is, moreover, 

 adverted to by Mr. Brown,J who also notices the analogy 

 between the seeds of Guettard and Schreber, (the sac-con- 

 taining secondary capsules,) and the supposed male organs of 

 Azolla. This analogy is reversed by Martius and Endlicher. 



The germination of these sac-containing secondary capsules 

 has been observed by M. Vaucher§ and from Endlicher's|| 

 remarks it would appear to have been also observed by 



* PI. Crypt. Bras. p. 128, t. 76, 75. f. 2. 

 t Gen. PI. p. 67, No. 689. 

 t Prodr. Fl. Nov. Holl. ed. 2. p. 23 in. obs. 

 § Ann. Mus. Hist Nat. 18, p. 404, t. 21, No. 

 II Gen. PI. loc. cit. 



