Part 9 (1/2)

The first trace of the plant, visible to the naked eye, is a little dohite speck, just large enough to be seen This rapidly increases in size, beco finally soht of a few millimetres a short stalk becomes perceptible, and presently the whole assumes the form of a closed umbrella The top is covered with little prominences, that diminish in number and size toward the bottorow, slowly at first, but finally with great rapidity, reaching a height of several centimetres within a few hours At the sa, the cap spreads out, radial clefts appearing on its upper surface, which flatten out very much as the folds of an umbrella are stretched as it opens, and the spaces between the clefts appear as ridges, co 48, _B_) The under side of the cap has a nuin, and of a black color, due to the innu their surface (_C_) Almost as soon as the umbrella opens, the spores are shed, and the whole structure shrivels up and dissolves, leaving almost no trace behind

If we exaest speci in water or dilute glycerine, we find it to be a little, nearly globular mass of colorless fila fro 48, _G_) If the speci, a denser central portion can be48, _H_) this central mass has assumed the form of a short, thick stalk, crowned by a flat cap, the whole invested by a loose radually into the central portion By the time the spore fruit (for this structure corresponds to the spore fruit of the _Ascoht of two or three milliroard at the itudinal section of such a stage shows the stalk to be co looser in the cap, on whose inner surface the spore-bearing ridges (”gills” or _Laun to develop Soe of the cap, others only part way To study their structure, rown, but unopened, speciills

We find them to be flat plates, composed within of loosely interwoven filales to the surface of the gills, for 48, _D_) These are at first all alike, but later some of them become club-shaped, and develop at the end several (usually four) little points, at the end of which spores are for teleuto spores of the cedar rust, all the protoplas 48, _E_, _F_) The ripe spores (_E_, _sp_) are oval, and possess a firm, dark outer wall Occasionally soe sterile cells (E, _x_), projecting far beyond the others, and often reaching the neighboring gill

Similar in structure and develope and common for tissue, as well as in the form and size of the whole spore fruit They are so to the position of the spores, into three orders: the closed-fruited (_Angiocarpous_) foriocarpous_), and the open or naked-fruited forms (_Gymnocarpous_)

[Illustration: FIG 49--_Basidiomycetes_ _A_, common puff-ball (_Lycoperdon_) _B_, earth star (_Geaster_) _A_,_B_, one-half natural size]

Of the first, the puff-balls (Fig 49) are coiganteum_), often reaches a diameter of thirty to forty centi to the spore fruit, the outer one splitting at49, _B_) Another pretty and corowing on rotten wood or soil containing50)

[Illustration: FIG 50--Birds'-nest fungus (_Cyathus_) _A_, young

_B_, full grown _C_, section through _B_, showing the ”sporangia”

(_sp_) All twice the natural size]

In the second order the spores are at first protected, as we have seen in _Coprinus_, which belongs to this order, but finally beco 51, _B_), the large shelf-shaped fungi (_Polyporus_), so co 51, _C_, _D_, _E_), and the prickly fungus (_Hydnu 51, _G_)

[Illustration: FIG 51--Forms of _Basidioaricus_, natural size _C_, _E_, _Polyporus_: _C_, ; _E_,_D_, part of the under surface of _D_, natural size _F_, _Clavaria_, a small piece, natural size _G_, _Hydnum_, a piece of the natural size]

Of the last, or naked-fruited for 51, _F_), s the spores directly upon the surface of the branches

CHAPTER XI

SUB-KINGDOM IV

BRYOPHYTA

The Bryophytes, or h a few are aquatic, and with very few exceptions are richly supplied with chlorophyll They are for theover a few centiht; but, nevertheless, compared with the plants that we have heretofore studied, quite coroup are flattened, creeping plants, or a few of the aquatics, without distinct steher ones have a pretty well-developed central axis or stem, with simple leaves attached

There are two classes--I Liverworts (_Hepaticae_), and II Mosses (_Musci_)

CLass I--THE LIVERWORTS

One of the commonest of this class, and to be had at any tihest of the class, having distinct sterowsround, where the supply of moisture is most constant It also occurs on stones and rocks in eneral appearance, and froement of its leaves is so 52, _A_, _B_) are rounded in outline unequally, two-lobed, and arranged in ts on the upper side of the ste as to conceal it entirely On the under side are siularly disposed The ste out laterally so that the whole plant is decidedly flattened On the under side are fine, whitish hairs, that fasten it to the substratum If we exa, a difference will be observed in the plants So 52, _C_, _D_), in which the spores are produced

These are called ”sporogonia” They are at first globular, but when ripe open by reenish brown er parts of the sa 54, _H_), which contain the feonia arise

[Illustration: FIG 52--_A_, part of a plant of a leafy liverwort (_Madotheca_), 2 _B_, part of the saonia (_sp_), 4 _D_, a single sporogonium, 8]

On other plants53, _B_), with very closely set leaves If these are carefully separated, the antheridia can just be seen as lobules, barely visible to the naked eye Plants that, like this one, have the ans on distinct plants, are said to be ”dicious”