FOUR-LOBED SPORE MOTHER CELLS IN CATHARINEA 
Charles E. Allen 
In examining some preparations of sporophytes of Catharinea, 
made from fixed material, it was noticed that the spore mother cells 
were plainly four-lobed. The preparations were laid aside until living 
material could be studied. This was done during the past summer, 
with a resulting confirmation of the former observations. Spore 
mother cells having the four-lobed form have now been found in 
developing sporophytes collected and fixed in September, 1907, in the 
neighborhood of Madison; and in living sporophytes collected during 
August, 1915, at three different localities in and near Madison, and 
at one locality near Devil's Lake, about thirty miles distant from 
Madison. 
As appears from figure i, A-D, there are rather striking differences 
in size between the spore mother cells of plants collected in different 
localities, although the mother cells borne in a single capsule differ 
little in size, and, so far as my observations have gone, there is no 
great variation in this respect as between different plants growing in 
the same clump. Along with these differences in size of spore mother 
cells between plants of different localities go other well-marked dif- 
ferences in such characters as size of plant, size of leaf, number of 
lamellae on the upper surfaces of the leaves, and number of spines on 
the lower surfaces. While doubtless some of these characters are 
influenced by external conditions, it seems not unlikely that the 
plants in question may represent distinct races, all of which, however, 
seem to fall within the limits of C. angustata Brid., as at present defined ; 
although, since this species intergrades with C. undulata Web. and 
Mohr, it is possible that some of the forms observed should be referred 
to the latter species. 
The spore mother cells shown in figure i were drawn (with the 
aid of the camera lucida) immediately after being pressed out of the 
living capsules. The lobing of the cells, though evident, is much 
shallower than in such representatives, of the Jungermanniales as 
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