80 
THE FERN WORLD OF AUSTRALIA. 
REMARKS. 
With regard to cultivation, Lycopods differ nowise from ferns : 
in habit they vary quite as much, some being found on trees and 
rocks, often in the masses formed by epiphytes ; others are met 
with fringing the margins of mountain streams, and others may' 
often be seen amongst grass on damp hill-sides. 
For elegance of appearance they quite equal the ferns, and that- 
they are also appreciated by fern cultivators may be inferred from one 
meeting with them in fern-houses. 
Although their value must be acknowledged more a3sthetic than 
economic, yet we J&nd they have been used in medicine, and as dye 
producers. The powdery spores also of some species is so highly-' 
inflammable that advantage has been taken of this property in 
pyrotechny. 
It may also be further observed that Lycopodiums are distin- 
guished from Selaginellas by their conifer-like habit, the single 
form of tlieir capsules. The leaves vary from mere threads to broad 
scales. The fruit spikes are mostly distinct, cylindrical, and some- 
time branched. L. clavatum, of which there is a form in Australia, 
was the badge which was worn by the Sinclairs. 
Selaginella may be distinguished from Lycopodium by the flat' 
two-ranked stem, and double two or three valved capsule, one of 
which contains the large pallid spores, the other the free spore-like 
orange or scarlet antheridia, which at length produces the spii-aT 
spermatozoids. Both sometimes occur together in the axil of the 
same leaf, bat they are sometimes separate. Germination takes 
place by cellular division of a portion of the spores, and the young 
plant when produced from the archegonium has two opposite leaves 
like cotyledons, thus resembling the embroyo of some exogens. 
Psilotum may be recognised from its minute bristle-pointfed 
scale-like leaves, and three-celled capsules. 
Tmesipteris, by the large oblong two-lobed capsule, the lobes of 
which are spreading and acute, and the capsules being situated on 
the stalk of the bract near where it is forked. 
Besides the plants of the order noticed, Isoetes lacustris, Linn, 
the European Quillwort, and I. Drummondii, A. Br., the Western 
Australian form. Phylloglossum Drummondii, Kunze, a very 
small plant, met with in some of the cooler parts of Australia, 
and the pretty moss-like plants which float on still waters, Azolla 
pinnata, R. Br. and A. rubra, R. Br. are also Australian plants of 
Lycopodiacese, but are scarcely worthy of cultivation. 
Antheridia is a term applied to the male organs in cryptogams, 
and analogous to anthers. 
Archegonium. The long-necked cellular sac, in cryptogams and 
analogous to pistil. 
Spermatozoids. The spiral bodies by which impregnation is 
accomplished. 
