THE MORPHOLOGY AND SYSTEMATIC POSITION OF PODOMITRIUM 20g 
transversely into short rows of iso-diametric cells, the young spore 
mother-cells, while the others remain undivided and lengthening still 
more finally develop into the elaters. No spore mother cells were 
found in division, so that the details of spore division could not be 
studied. 
The sporophyte, as it grows older, has the foot distinctly separated 
from the seta by an evident constriction (fig. 7, C). In this respect 
Podomitrium more nearly resembles Morkia or Calycularia than it 
does a typical Blyttia, where a distinct foot is absent. In Blyttia 
(MiUenia) Zollingeri, however, a foot like that of Podomitrium occurs. 
The capsule of the ripe sporophyte closely resembles that of Blyttia 
from which it differs mainly in the presence of an elaterophore. The 
latter structure is apparently, better developed in Podomitrium 
Malaccefise than it is in P. Phyllanthus to judge from the figures of 
Andreas.'' There is no doubt that in the former it originates from the 
sporogenous area much as it does in Aneura. The inner cells of the 
elaterophore are prolonged into slender processes, and these elongated 
cells resembled in form the elaters, but none of those that were ex- 
amined showed the spiral thickenings characteristic of the true elaters. 
The outer layer of cells, forming the wall of the capsule, have their 
cell-walls uniformly thickened as in Blyttia. 
The ripe spores are about 15 to 17.5 in diameter. The outer 
membrane is marked by fine reticulations, thus very much resembling 
the spores of Blyttia radiculosa, whose spores are almost identical in 
appearance with those of Podomitrium Malaccense except that they 
are slightly smaller. According to both Andreas^ and Cavers^ the 
sporogonium of P. Phyllanthus opens by four longitudinal slits as it 
does in Blyttia; but all of the open sporogonia of P. Malaccense seen 
by the writer showed two broad valves completely separated at the 
top (fig. 7, D), resembling in this respect Calycularia radiculosa or 
Morkia. It may be that an examination of a larger number of speci- 
mens might show some variation in the mode of dehiscence. 
Comparing Podomitrium Malaccense with other Anacrogynae, it 
is evident that it comes nearest to Blyttia, from which it differs, 
^ Andreas, J. Ueber den Bau der Wand und die Oeffnungsweise des Lebermoos- 
sporogons. Flora 86: 1899. 
^ Andreas, loc. cit. 
^ Cavers, The Inter-relationships of the Bryophyta — reprint from New Phytolo- 
gist. 1911. 
