Wall Projections in the Sporophyte and Gametophyte of Sphaerocarpos

The nutrition of the sporophyte in Sphaerocarpos and liverworts in general has long been controversial . It has not yet been determined whether the chloroplasts in the sporophyte capsule do, in fact, photosynthesize or whether the carbohydrates stored as starch are translocated to the sporophyte from the gametophyte which is known to be photosynthetic and to which the sporophyte remains attached throughout its development . Although movement of carbohydrates from the gametophyte to the sporophyte has not been shown, this has long been thought to occur . It is the purpose of this report to describe the nature of the juncture between the sporophyte and gametophyte of Sphaerocarpos donnellii Aust ., with particular emphasis on specialized wall protuberances found in this region . The possible significance of these protuberances in translocation and their relationship to similar structures found in other plants will be discussed .