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MABEL MARY BROWN 
and subsequently giving rise to fertile branches; W. Wilson (1855, p. 268) 
reported a stem, at first simple and terminated by a barren (male) discoid 
inflorescence; later branched, the branches bearing terminal fertile in- 
florescences, the base of the stem and branches rooting. Suljivant (1856, 
p. 50) described the male inflorescences as borne on innovations. Lesquer- 
eux and James (1884, p. 200) reported monoecious, terminal inflorescences, 
the male borne on the primary shoots, the fertile (female) on the innovations. 
Limpricht (1890, pp. 198-200) agrees that Funaria hygrometrica is monoe- 
cious but does not describe the relative positions of the male and female 
organs. This moss is autoicous, the male inflorescence being borne on 
short basal branches, according to Braithwaite (1888- 1895, pp. 135-136). 
Dixon and Jameson (1904, p. 300) describe it as autoicous, having a ter- 
minal, discoid male inflorescence on a lateral branch; the same writers (1896, 
p. 276) had previously simply reported this species as autoicous, "the male 
inflorescence discoid with spreading bracts." Brotherus (1909, p. 421) 
and Lotsy (1909, p. 9) describe male organs at the apex of a main axis, the 
female organs on the summit of a lateral branch. These writers all agree 
that Funaria hygrometrica is monoecious, but differ as to whether the male 
or the female inflorescence respectively is terminal on the main axis or on a 
lateral branch. 
Boodle (1906) reports that in sixty-five specimens out of one hundred 
two, the female axis was a branch of the male stem. In the remaining speci- 
mens different conditions obtained, such as female axes apparently un- 
attached, male axes having no branches, axes bearing no sex organs, and 
axes attached basally, so that it is impossible to determine which is the 
main axis and which the branch. From these observations Boodle concludes 
that F. hygrometrica is monoecious, or at least very seldom dioecious. 
E. and E. Marchal (191 1) state that by experimental methods they 
have shown Funaria hygrometrica to be monoecious. The primary axis 
terminating in an antheridial head gives rise to the female branch as an 
innovation. By the death of the upper part of the male axis which has 
given rise to branches, the branches become separated to such an extent as 
to be taken for distinct individuals. On such separated axes, branches of 
one or the other sex may be produced. 
Collins (1919) reports the possibility of the origin of a dioecious race of 
Funaria hygrometrica by the regeneration of antheridia and of perigonial 
leaves from the antheridial head. Gametophytes so produced bore anth- 
eridia exclusively and at no time were any sporophytes formed. This sug- 
gests that the sexual tendencies are separated in this species before the 
actual production of the antheridia and archegonia. 
