590 



FILICES. 



which is vascular, or a vascular congeries of cells, and which in- 

 variably contains green parenchyma. Besides, in what instance 

 is a plant known to be multiplied by reproductive organs, 

 and two sorts of gemmae : such an instance as Marchantia 

 ought to satisfy the most sceptical. 



The objections of Sprengel, who with deference is not a high* 

 authority on points of minute structure, amounts to nothing 

 more than that the disk is capable of growth, a fact which 

 has indeed never been doubted ; they are only worthy of 

 notice as having been perpetuated in Lindley's In trod., 

 2nd. ed., But even if proved occasionally to grow, they 

 may not the less generally perform the office of male 

 organs. 



In phaenogams, we have certain species endowed with three 

 sets of organs, conducive to their perpetuality. 



These organs are very dissimilar, we know that some of them, 

 perform the function of the male, the second of female, the 

 third of a gemma. In Mosses etc. we have organs of 3 different 

 kinds, and very dissimilar, one of these is allowed by all to be 

 gemmaceous, another reproductive ; analogy asks, is not the 

 secoud the male ?. 



No one would attempt to prove that the anthers of 

 Sempervivum are female organs because occasionally they 

 bear ovula : we have besides evidence to prove that the essen- 

 tial part of a grain of pollen, to which the anthers of some 

 Jungermanniaceae, and of Ferns are analogous, has remark- 

 able powers of growth. 



To prove that the anthers are gemmae, we require to have 

 proved that they generally grow, and this after dehiscence. 



What is an anther in its widest acceptation but a case 

 containing fertilizing fecundating matter ; we are not to look 

 invariably for highly organised grains of pollen, but we are to 

 look for fecundating matter in the lower* orders, in the form 

 of the first appearance of the pollen to the higher orders : 

 we shall then have a case containing grumous molecular mat- 

 ter : the precise description of organ we have in Mosses etc. 



