On Androgynous Receptacles in Marchantia. 
BY 
E. M. CUTTING, M.A., F.L.S. 
Assistant, University of London, University College, and Lecturer on Biology , St. Thomas' 1 s 
Hospital Medical School, London. 
With five Figures in the Text. 
I N some material of Marchantia which had been collected for class-work, 
a number of archegoniophores were found which differed considerably 
from those of Marchantia polymorpha, the stalk ending in a well-marked 
disc bearing a variable number (6-12) of short lobes, and it was observed 
that some of these archegoniophores bore on the lower surface a prominent 
outgrowth (Figs. 1, 2, and 3) rather suggestive of an antheridial lobe. 
A few hand sections were cut of one of these abnormal receptacles, 
and it was at once noticed that antheridia were borne in great abundance 
on the apparently under side of the outgrowth. There were also indica¬ 
tions of the presence of archegonia in other parts of the sections. The 
material was not examined any further by means of hand sections, but the 
microtome sections which were afterwards cut from this and other of 
these abnormal receptacles have shown that archegonia are also present 
on them. 
The material had been originally obtained from Mr. Williams, of 
Avery Hill, Eltham, from whom I learnt that the species was Marchantia 
palmata ; that he had obtained the original specimens from the Chelsea 
Physic Gardens, and that the receptacles with the disc shape, already 
shortly described, were commonly formed on some of the plants, and on 
others archegoniophores similar to those of Marchantia polymorpha , but 
more robust and with longer stalks. He also said that the plants had, 
unfortunately, all died, but he kindly placed at my disposal all that remained 
of the material, which had been preserved in alcohol. There was, unfortu¬ 
nately, very little of this and it was in a fragmentary condition; so that 
it was seldom possible to trace more than one inflorescence to any 
individual thallus: indeed I have only been able to do this in the case 
of the antheridiophores and of the ordinary ‘ polymorpha 5 type of 
archegoniophores. All of the ‘ disc ’-type of receptacles were unattached. 
[Annals of Botany, Vol. XXIV. No. XCIV. April, igxo.] 
