er
liverworts, such as _Madotheca_ or _Jungermannia_, all of them having
well-marked stems and leaves. The spore fruit is more highly
developed than in the liverworts, but never contains elaters.

A good idea of the general structure of the higher mosses may be had
from a study of almost any common species. One of the most convenient,
as well as common, forms (_Funaria_) is to be had almost the year
round, and fruits at almost all seasons, except midwinter. It grows in
close patches on the ground in fields, at the bases of walls,
sometimes in the crevices between the bricks of sidewalks, etc. If
fruiting, it may be recognized by the nodding capsule on a long stalk,
that is often more or less twisted, being sensitive to changes in the
moisture of the atmosphere. The plant (Fig. 58, _A_, _B_) has a short
stem, thickly set with relatively large leaves. These are oblong and
pointed, and the centre is traversed by a delicate midrib. The base of
the stem is attached to the ground by numerous fine brown hairs.

The mature capsule is broadly oval in form (Fig. 58, _C_), and
provided with a lid that falls off when the spores are ripe. While the
capsule is young it is covered by a pointed membranous cap (_B_,
_cal._) that finally falls off. When the lid is removed, a fine fringe
is seen surrounding the opening of the capsule, and serving the same
purpose as the elaters of the liverworts (Fig. 58, _E_).

[Illustration: FIG. 58.--_A_, fruiting plant of a moss (_Funaria_),
with young sporogonium (_sp._), x 4. B, plant with ripe sporogonium.
_cal_. calyptra, x 2. _C_, sporogonium with calyptra removed. _op._
lid, x 4. _D_, spores: i, ungerminated; ii-iv, germinating, x 300.
_E_, two teeth from the margin of the capsule, x 50. _F_, epidermal
cells and breathing pore from the surface of the sporogonium, x 150.
_G_, longitudinal section of a young sporogonium, x 12. _sp._ spore
mother cells. _H_, a small portion of _G_, magnified about 300 times.
_sp._ spore mother cells.]

If the lower part of the stem is carefully examined with a lens, we
may detect a number of fine green filaments growing from it, looking
like the root hairs, except for their color. Sometimes the ground
about young patches of the moss is quite covered by a fine film of
such threads, and looking carefully over it probably very small moss
plants may be seen growing up here and there from it.

[Illustration: FIG. 59.--Longitudinal section through the summit of a
s