JOURNAL OF BOTANY 
AMERICAN 
Vol. VII 
June, 1920 
No. 6 
THE FUSION OF VENTRAL CANAL CELL AND EGG 
IN SPHAGNUM SUBSECUNDUM 
Geo. S. Bryan 
In a previous paper (i) the writer has followed in detail the development 
of the archegonium of Sphagnum suhsecundum Nees. At that time the state- 
ment was made: "Usually just before fertilization the ventral canal nucleus 
disintegrates." However, in the early spring of 1917, while attempting to 
work out the details of fertilization, the interesting fact was uncovered that 
in the species here studied the ventral canal cell quite often does not dis- 
integrate, but unites with the egg. It seems worth while, therefore, to 
report the facts in detail. 
The area from which the material came is a grassy bog of about 20 
acres near Mineral Springs, Indiana, 40 miles south of Chicago. In the 
summer and fall of 191 2 this bog contained a sufficient amount of water to 
prevent fires from damaging the polsters of Sphagnum which were scattered 
throughout the bog. The material is probably dioecious, occurring gener- 
ally in well defined polsters of one sex or the other. In a few cases mixed 
polsters were found, but in no instances were the sex organs found together 
in the same head or upon the same upright branch. The well defined dif- 
ferences in the appearance of male and female plants when the sex organs 
are approaching or have reached maturity have been stated in the previous 
paper, but will be repeated here for clearness. 
The heads of antheridial plants are decidedly globose and show variations 
in color from yellow-brown to red-brown and sometimes almost black. 
Dissection reveals antheridia most of which are apparently at or near 
maturity. The heads of archegonial branches are less globose and have a 
somewhat flattened aspect on top. There is no unusual coloring except in 
the conspicuous bud in the center of the head. This bud varies in color 
from yellow-brown to red-brown and stands out in sharp contrast to the 
other portions of the head. An analysis shows archegonia, some young, 
others almost mature, as terminal structures on short side branches very 
close to the apex of the main axis, the coloring matter being in the peri- 
Material and Methods 
[The Journal for May (7: 173-222) was issued June 16, 1920.] 
223 
