MARSILEA. 



507 



enveloped, does not present appearances of being cellular, al- 

 though each sporule after its separation is confined in a cel- 

 lular-looking areola. 



The distribution of the veins, and their relation to the 

 sorus deserves to be examined. 



Do the pseudo, reproductive organs become less numerous 

 as the maturity of the spore increases ? if so, those that re- 

 main may be merely accidental. 



Has the ripe sporule a tunic ? 



Is there any certain order in the situation of either ? 

 Is the capsule originally solid ? 



Are any of the cells surrounding the pseudo reproductive 

 organ ternarily divided ? 



Note the conformity, if any between the fronds and cap- 

 sules. — Bamo. 1837- 



From these observations it^ would appear, that Marsilea has 

 two organs, dissimilar in developement; one only presenting 

 the usual ternary, or quaternary division : the other presenting 

 no analogy to the usual males, and appearing to be that which 

 authors have ascertained to be the real reproductive organ. 



These observations do not agree with those of M. Fabre, 

 as given by Dunal, Annates des. Sc. Nat., N. S. Tom. VII., 

 in which paper nothing is given on the developement. How- 

 ever, the mature parts do not agree, for M. Fabre has described 

 the female as terminated by a mamelon ; and has described 

 the anthers as simple sacs, containing molecules and gran- 

 nules. 



It is not improbable that Mars. Fabri may be very distinct 

 from ordinary Marsilea?, in which I see no disengagement of 

 the sorus from its original connections, which are a good deal 

 like those of Ferns. 



Pending the want of observations on the developement of 

 M. Fabri, is it assumable to conjecture, that in it, the deve- 

 lopement reverts to the Ph;eaogamic form, in which the pol- 

 len alone is derived from division. It is observable, that in 

 my sketches, the mamelon would appear to belong to the at- 



