Macroglossum Alidae, Copeland . 
655 
The Archegonium. 
The archegonium of Macroglosszim does not differ essentially from 
that of the other Marattiaceae, perhaps being most like that of Angiopteris . 
The mother-cell is divided into two by a transverse wall, the outer cell 
giving rise to the short neck, the inner one either first dividing into a basal 
cell and a central cell, or giving rise directly to the egg-cell and canal cells, 
the basal cell being suppressed (PI. XLVII, Figs. 25, 26). The cover-cell, 
as usual, divides first by intersecting walls into four primary neck-cells, each 
of which undergoes division once or twice, so that each of the four series of 
neck-cells contains two or three cells (Figs. 29-31). It is possible that 
occasionally a third division occurs, but this is not usually the case. 
The central cell, as in other Ferns, pushes up between the neck-cells, 
and this narrow upper part is separated from the lower broad portion as the 
primary neck canal cell, which subsequently divides into two either by the 
formation of a cross-wall or simply by a division of the nucleus. From 
the central cell a conspicuous ventral canal cell is cut off, as in Marattia 
and Angiopteris (PI. XLVII, Figs. 30-32). 
Where a basal cell is present it undergoes several divisions, but there 
seems to be no definite sequence of cell-divisions, and the basal cell is not 
always recognizable. Compared with Angiopteris (Fig. 33) the neck canal 
cells seem to be rather narrower in Macroglossum , otherwise the archegonia 
are very similar. 
The Embryo. 
Only a few of the young embryos were found, but these showed a very 
notable difference when compared with the embryo of Angiopteris . In 
Macroglossum there is a very large suspensor developed, and in this respect 
it resembles Danaea} but the suspensor is much larger. 
Several one-celled embryos were seen. These filled up the venter of 
the archegonium and varied somewhat in shape (PI. XLVII, Figs. 34, 35). 
In one case a two-celled embryo was seen (Fig. 36) which closely resembled 
a corresponding stage in Danaea . The upper part was somewhat pointed 
and formed the beginning of the suspensor. Another stage is shown in 
Fig. 39. 
The suspensor was extraordinarily developed in the older embryos 
that were found, but differed in position from the suspensor of Danaea . 
In the latter, the suspensor, which is quite short, pushes the embryo 
downward, so that the long axes of the suspensor and embryo coincide. 
To judge from the few specimens secured in Macroglossum this is not the 
case. The suspensor grows laterally, pushing the embryo a long distance 
sideways from the archegonium (PI. XLVII, Fig. 37). How far this large 
1 See Campbell, loc. cit. 
