Plant World Continued 



219 



end. There is a small appendage, called a vesicle, which contains starch 

 granules. As the antheridia ripen, the sperm-sac is forced open, and this 

 sperm discharged. It is important that this sperm-sac be not confused 

 with the spore-capsule to be mentioned later. 



The branches bearing archegonia are called archegoniophores and 

 are usually found toward the upper portion of the plant, while the 

 archegonia themselves are at the tip 

 of the archegoniophores (Fig. 113). 

 Each archegonia has a neck, neck- 

 canal, a venter which contains the egg, 

 and a basal or pedicel. The archegonia 

 of ferns will also be found to be quite 

 like this, except that the pedicel is 

 missing. Usually, several archegonia 

 are found on a single branch. A num- 

 ber of enlarged leaves surround the 

 archegonia. They constitute a peri- 

 chaetium ( ). 



Both archegonial and antheridial 

 The ctmmon d M?ss° £ a Drancnes begin growing close together, 

 (Funaria). but the main branch, from which both 



a., Anthendium; b., 1 1 . . 



escaping sperm; c, develop, continues growing between 



a single sperm in its .1 j ,- .1 >. ,1 1 bryo sporophyte (em.) 



parent cell. (After them and Separating them further and developing in the ven- 

 Sachs.) further ter * ^fter Schimper.) 



Fertilization probably occurs in winter as young embryos are found 

 in abundance in the spring. A film of water is needed for the purpose of 



Fig. 113. 

 Archegonium 

 _ Sphagnum, 

 showing a young em- 



of 



Fig. 114. The Sporophyte of the Peat Moss 

 (Sphagnum). 

 A., group of the sporophytes on stalks, which are 

 really growths from the gametophyte. B., longi- 

 tudinal section through a sporophyte, showing the 

 large foot imbedded in the top of the stalk; a., the 

 remains of the parent archegonium, with the neck 

 still present; s., a spore chamber; c, cover. (From 

 Bergen & Davis' "Principles of Botany," by permis- 

 sion of Ginn & Co., Publishers.) 



