8 
THE FERNS OF SOUTH AFRICA 
The female organs ( Archegonia ) usually occur just below 
the sinus of the prothallus, and each consists of a raised 
tubular projection, having an ovum at the base of the tube. 
The mouth of the tube opens when wet, and by some 
attractive power the spermatozoids moving in the water find 
their way to the archegonia, and fertilise the ovum in one or 
more. 
Instead of this resulting in seed, as happens among the 
flowering plants after fertilisation, the product in this case is 
a young plant, which, growing like a bud out of the fertilised 
prothallus, soon produces fronds, then roots, and in a few 
weeks is fit to provide for itself, when the now useless pro- 
thallus gradually withers off. It is by this means that all 
seedling ferns found in the forests or raised in the nurseries 
are obtained, and occasionally they come up unexpectedly in 
the greenhouse of the amateur. 
The prothallus of each species has a distinct form of its 
own, and usually both archegonia and antheridia occur upon 
it* but in some cases antheridia alone are produced upon a 
prothallus ; in these cases the prothallus is smaller or irregular. 
It may be that in some species the archegonia occur on 
separate prothalli, the fern being then dioecious ; and this 
may account for the difficulty experienced in propagating 
some kinds. 
To obtain the spores artificially, dry some half-ripened 
fronds in paper for a few days, then crush and sift, keeping 
the fine dust for sowing. Prepare a pot, as if for planting, 
giving plenty of broken brick drainage, covered with moss, on 
the top of which a layer of finely sifted sandy soil is placed. 
The pot is then placed in a saucer full of water, which finds 
its way up into the soil, making it all damp and fit for a 
growing place for the spores. The spores should be gently 
scattered over the surface, but not covered with any soil, as 
the moisture keeps them in place, and if the saucer be filled 
up occasionally no watering over-head will be required, but 
a piece of glass should be laid over the pot so as to retain the 
moisture better. Care should be taken that spores only are 
sown, and not pieces of broken frond, or empty capsules, as 
