EVANS—THE NORTH AMERICAN SPECIES OF ASTERELLA. 267 
6 (rarely by 5, 7, or 8) series of cells with 2 (or rarely 3) cells in a series; 
cells containing oil bodies as in A. tenella; green tissue loose, the air chambers 
in 4 or 5 layers (in the median portion), those of the dorsal layer larger than 
the others, apparently never subdivided, each with an epidermal pore; com- 
pact tissue occupying from one-third to one-half the thickness of the thallus in 
the median portion, thinning out gradually on the sides and extending about 
halfway to the margin, composed of cells with slightly thickened, pitted walls; 
mycorhiza not observed; ventral scales ovate to lunulate, deeply pigmented, 
sometimes vaguely crenulate or denticulate; cells containing oil bodies mostly 
15 or fewer, scattered (rarely 2 side by side); appendages 1 or (rarely) 2, 
siightly or not at all constricted at base, lanceolate to ovate, rarely broadly 
ovate, mostly 0.2 to 0.6 mm. long and 0.15 to 0.3 mm. wide, entire or vaguely 
crenulate, the apex mostly acute to acuminate, rarely rounded, the cells 
in median portion mostly 50 to 80 X 25 to 40 yw, the marginal ones somewhat 
smaller; inflorescence paroicous, the antheridia forming a small irregular 
group close to the peduncle of the female receptacle, the ostioles low and incon- 
spicuous; peduncle naked or with a very few scattered paleae, more or less 
pigmented with purple, 3 cm. long when well developed; disk of receptacle 
about 2 mm. across, hemispherical, covered with low tubercles, the lobes 
mostly 3, scarcely evident, extending obliquely downward, the margins and the 
narrow involucre entire or nearly so; pseudoperianth mostly 8-cleft, hyaline, 
the divisions soon becoming free and irregularly spreading, narrowly lanceolate ; 
capsule opening by a circular line of dehiscence above the middle, the operculum 
coming off in one piece; spores yellow, mostly 60 to 65 uw in diameter, with a 
wavy wing 6 to 10 uw wide along the edges, the entire surface minutely and some- 
times indistinctly punctulate, the spherical face covered over with a coarse reti- 
culum (sometimes irregularly or incompietely developed), the meshes mostly 
9 to 12 » wide, inclosed by the marginal wing and a system of anastomosing 
ridges of a similar character, each plane face sometimes with a similar reti- 
culum and sometimes with a single transverse ridge connected with the wings; 
elaters yellow, variously curved and contorted, mostly 150 to 200 » long and 
8 to 10 (rarely up to 14) « wide, distinctly tapering, the median portion with 
2 or $ spirals, the ends with 2 spirals, 
The geographical distribution of this arctic and alpine species is extensive. 
In North America it is known from Greenland, the Rocky Mountains, and the 
Pacific Coast region; in Europe, from Finland and Scandinavia, from Iceland, 
from the mountains of eastern Germany, and from the Alps; in Asia, from 
Japan. The plants grow on earth among rocks and rarely occur abundantly, 
The following specimens from Europe and North America have been examined: 
ALBERTA: Southeast end of Pabocton Pass, 1908, Brown 1086 (N. Y., Y.). 
British CoLuMBIA: Yale, 1875, J. Macoun (C., N. Y.); Eagle Pass, west of 
Revelstoke, J. Macoun (C., N. Y.) ; Mount Erskine, Salt Spring Island, Gulf of 
Georgia, J, Macoun (C., N. Y., U. S., ¥.; listed, as F. tenella, by Pearson in 
List Canad. Hepat., 27. 1890; distributed under the same name by Macoun, 
Can. Hep., no. 73; listed, as A. gracilis, by Underwood in Bot. Gaz. 20: 62. 
1895; type of F. macounii Steph.) ; Victoria and vicinity, J. Macoun (C. C. H., 
N. Y.; distributed, as A, gracilis, by Macoun, Can, Liv., no. 4); Agassiz, J. 
Macoun (C., N. Y.); Sproat, J. Macoun (N. Y.); Comax, Vancouver Island, 
J. Macoun (N. Y., U. S., Y¥.; distributed, as F. pilosa, in Can. Hep., no, 72) ; 
Hector, J. Macoun (same distribution) ; Goldstream, J. Macoun (C.) ; Kicking 
Horse Lake, J. Macoun (C., N. Y.); Chilliwack, J. M. Macoun (C., N. Y.). 
Many of these specimens are listed by Macoun in Cat. Can. Pl, 7: 4. 1902. 
Montana: Long Baldy, Little Belt Mountains, 1896, Flodian 5 (N. Y., U.S.) ; 
Sperry Glacier, Jones 10690 (Y.). 
