Studies of the Germination of the Spore in Some Mosses II.

The protonema system of Diphyscium fulvifolium Mitt. consisted of both the filamentous and trumpet-shaped protonemata. The filamentous protonema developed poorly, and gave out only a few short branches and 1-3 clavate branches which later develop into trumpet-shaped protonemata. The terminal cell of the filamentous protonema was, though rarely, able to develop into trumpet-shaped protonema. In some cases, a trumept-shaped protonema was successively produced on the preceding ones from an epidermal cell in the upper regions of the latter, forming a chain of two or three of such protonemata. The trumpet-shaped protonema is phototropic. The bud of leafy plants arose from certain basal cells or from certain epidermal cells of the upper part of the trumpet-shaped protonema. In the regeneration of this species the bud arises from the tip of clavate branches or from the filamentous protonema directly(Noguchi3), but this is not what we found in the present study on the sporelings. The protonema system of Sphagnum cuspidatum Ehrh. consisted of both the filamentous and thallose protonemata. The filamentous protonema grown in the culture solution became long, while it attains a length of only 2 or 3 cells when cultured on agar or moistend porous plate or filter paper. In the porous plate culture the thallose protonema was ribbon-shaped, but sporelings cultured in nutrient solution, or on agar or wet filter paper produce a palmately lobed thallose protonema. The thallose protonema showed a phototropic character in both cases. Sph. Girgensohnii was reported by Noguchi3) to form the second and the third, and even the fourth protonema. Such protonemata were not found in the present species. The rhizoids arose, from the endospore, the filamentous protonema, and marginal cells of the thallose protonema. One or two leafy plant were found on a thallose protonema.