3 l6 
Shiv Ram Kasliyap. 
The archegonia, as stated above, are one to six in each group 
and have rather long necks with about fifteen cells in each row. 
They are at first directed upwards but later on become horizontal. 
The tissue of the receptacle contains large air-chambers without 
any assimilating filaments, but opening by pores similar to those 
on the thallus. If the archegonia are not fertilised the receptacle 
remains very small (Fig. 3, c ) as is also the case in Exormotheca. 
If one or more archegonia are fertilised it becomes large and is 
raised on a very short peduncle. The latter is only 0-75 to 1*5 mm. 
long and has a shallow groove anteriorly (Fig. 4, e) which contains 
a few tuberculate rhizoids. The latter may not even reach the 
base. In the meantime an involucre is developed on each side 
round the young sporogonia, two of which may ripen in one involucre. 
The involucre is tubular, opening by a wide mouth (Fig. 3, e), and 
has very thin hyaline walls consisting of a single layer of cells near 
the margin. There are no scales either at the base or the apex of 
the peduncle. 
The sporogonium is perfectly horizontal and is wholly or 
partially included. It has a small foot and a very small seta (Fig. 4,/). 
Dehiscence of the capsule takes place by three or four valves 
irregularly. The cells of the capsule wall which consists of a single 
layer of cells have thick brown bands on their radial walls only 
(Fig- 4, g, li) and the inner and outer walls are always thin. 
Occasionally a cell here and there near the apex has all its radial 
walls uniformly thickened. There is never the appearance of 
radiating bands on the inner wall as is found in Exormotheca. The 
apex of the capsule has on its inner surface a few very short 
elater-like cells which are only annularly or spirally thickened and 
are simpler than the similar cells of Exormotheca (Fig. 4, k). The 
spores are tetrahedral and large, 80 to lOOju. in diameter, opaque and 
covered densely with low large and small papillae irregularly toothed 
(Fig. 4, i). The elaters are very small, only 80 to 140/x in length 
with only annular bands or a single lax spiral band (Fig. 4, /). 
In some specimens two small projecting tuberous processes 
were found under an involucre in which none of the archegonia 
were fertilised. They are, no doubt, rudimentary adventitious 
shoots which are so common in this plant. 
It will be seen from the above description that the plant must 
be placed near Exormotheca. It is undoubtedly a reduced form 
derived from that genus, as is shown by the decrease in the thickening 
of the cell-walls of the capsule-wall and the elaters and the con- 
