REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS.
As no instance is known of an united flower in any hepatic moss, we shall describe first the flowers con taining the stamens. These have already been stated to be destitute of a calyx, or any other propel covering. By Hedwig, substances differing much in form and struc ture, were described as stamens of the Jungermannix. In the leafy species may be found not unfrequently, the upper leaves, and sometimes on the sumtnits of the stems, a somewhat spherical capitulum, consisting of minute globules, which are more or less pellucid, not supported on a footstalk, and of which no internal organ ization has been traced. They vary in form, being some times ovate, sometimes angular. On their falling off, the leaves and ends of the stems frequently appear trun cated or jagged, as if by the loss of a part of their sub stance. Heclwig regarded this as no unlikely conse quence of their having supported male flowers ; but Dr. Hooker has, with great probability, conjectured that eaclt of these globules may hence be considered as a cell of the leaf or stem.
The true anthers of Jungermannix originate from the stem or branches. In the leafy species they are usually inclosed in densely imbricated leaves, the number within each leaf being indefinite, and varying from one to five or six. In a few instances the perigonial leaves (or those next the anthers) are patent, and in several species the anthers are without any covering. They are, in the leafy species, always supported on a whitish, pellucid, very delicate filament, and are spherical in form, having much resemblance to those of the genus Sphagnum. In the frondose species, the filament is in some instances very short, as in J. pinguis ; in others it is altogether wanting, as in J. epiphylla, and J. Blasia. In these two last mentioned species, indeed, the anthers are imbedded ; —in J. Blasia, in the substance of the nerve ; in J. epi phylla in a lateral process, have some analogy to thc re ceptacle of the male flowers of the genus Marchantia. In J. Blasia the usual spherical form of the anther, is exchanged for an oval. In some frondose species, the anthers are found always on the upper surface of the frond, as in J. Lyellii and J. hib.ernica; in others, always
on the lower surface, as in J. furcata and J. pubescens.
In structure, the anthers of Jungermannim consist of a membranous covering containing a fluid, with a granu lated substance swiniming in it, the granules being usu ally of an olive brown or greyish colour; but in J. pusilla they are yellow, and orange coloured in J. Hookeri. It would appear, that before the maturity of the anther the fluid is absorbed, and the granules become a farinaceous pollen—at least such a pollen seems to be represented by Hedwig, as seen by him to escape from an anther of J epiphylla. Theor Generat. et Fructif. Plant. Crypt.— 2d ed. tab. xxiv. Several mortceeious species of Jun germannix are known, but by much the greater number of them is dicecious.
With the exception of M. androgyna, and according to Wahlenberg, M. hcmisphaerica, in which male and female flowers occur on the same plant, all the species of Marchantia are dicecious. The anthers, in all the species in which they have been discovered, are inclosed within a common receptacle, which varies considerably in form in different species. In M. polymorpha, it is pel tate or concave, nearly entire in the margin, scaly on the under surface, and striated, with nine or ten furrows, marked with papillxfot in projections on the upper sur face, and supported on a statk, like the receptacle con taining the female fructification. In M. conica and androgyna, it is %%art-shaped and sessile, with numerous papillxform projections on the upper surface, and at last becoming concave. In both of these forms of the reccp n tacle, the anthers are disclosed by a perpendicular sec tion near the middle of the receptacle. They arc of an oblongo-uvate Form, with a very short filament. They appear to be sun ounded with a transparent jointed ring, and to contain a granular substance. According to Nit cheli, the anthers of conica at last dissolve into a milky fluid, which, under the niicroscope, appears to con sist of a thin transparent colourless fluid, with numerous white particles swimming in it.