The Structure and Development of the Reproductive Organs and Carposporophyte in two British Species of Gelidium

The structure and development of the reproductive organs andcarposporophyte are described for two British species of Gelidium,G. latifolium (Grev.) Born. & Thur. and G. pulchellum (Turn.)Kütz. The gonimoblast does not develop directly from theunchanged carpogonium, as was thought by Kylin, but a swollenmultinucleate cell of irregular outline is formed first, eitherfrom the carpogonium alone, or by the fusion of the carpogoniumand certain neighbouring cells; the gonimoblast develops fromlong, non-septate processes of this multi-nucleate cell. Thesignificance of the fusion of the carpogonium and certain vegetativecells is discussed in relation to the various definitions ofthe auxiliary cell which have been proposed. It is concludedthat an auxiliary cell does not occur in Gelidium.