Wl 
The Geelong Haturalist. 
Vor. II. OCTOBER, 1892. No. 6. 
Hach Contributor is responsible for the facts mentioned 
in his Paper. 
OUTLINES OF CRYPTOGAMIC BOTANY. 
By L, FREEMAN. 
(Abstract of paper read August 9th, 1892.) 
Cryptogamic plants are those that do not bear flowers, and - 
though forming the lowest class of the vegetable world they are 
by no means the least abundant. Among them are ferns, 
mosses, fungi, lichens, and the many well-defined groups of 
microscopic plants. 
Cryptogams are divided into two sub-classes— Thallogense 
and Acrogene. The Thallogens or Thallogens are those which 
have no distinct stem and no leaves, and are composed entirely 
of cellular tissue. This group comprises the lichens, fungi, 
alge, and the still less organised protophyta; the latter are 
unicellular plants, which multiply by cell division, and to the 
group belong bacteria and other disease germs. 
The algx, among which we see a great diversity of form and 
size, contain some of the most beautiful microscopic objects, 
such as the diatoms, the desmids, and also the seaweeds, some 
of which latter have been found many hundreds of yards long. 
In the lower forms reproduction is carried on by cell division, 
and in the higher also; but, in addition, these higher forms 
have impregnation of certain cells (called the female cells) by 
bodies called antherozoids or male cells. 
The fungi, with whieh'the lichens are sometimes classed, are 
commonly reproduced by * spores," which greatly vary in their 
form and manner of formation. The chara, a higher group of 
water plants, have a distinct stem ; multiplication takes place 
by impregnation, and also by cell division. 
This leads us to the second sub-class—the Acrogens, and 
owing to the chara having stems they are often classed in this 
section. They form, as it were, a connecting link. The sub- 
class Acrogens have usually distinct stems and leaves, and 
also vascular tissue as wellas cellular. In this group we have 
mosses and ferns. In the moss family is found the first indica- 
tion of vascular or fibrous tissue, though it is not of the true 
character. They are reproduced by means of spores and buds 
(or gemmae), and also by specially formed shoots. The fern 
family forms the highest group of the Acrogens; they have the 
vascular tissue; the leaves or fronds bear the organs of repro- 
duction. The spore cases are usually on the under side of the 
