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XXIII. On Athalamia, a new Genus of Marcliantieee. By Hugh Falconer, 

 Esq., M.D., F.R.S., F.L.S., Superintendent of the Hon. East -India Com- 

 pany's Botanic Garden at Calcutta, 8fc. 8fc. 



Read June 1st, 1847. 



Marchantie^e. 



Gen. Athalamia, Falc. 

 Char. Gen. Flores masculi ? 



Capituli feminei receptaculum nullum ; floribus immediate pedunculo insertis, erectis. 



Involucrum nullum. Involucella tubulosa, vertice bivalvia, basi inter se connata. Ca- 



lyptra persistens, subbifido-lacerata. Sporangium in lacinias 4-5, demum revolutas, 



dehiscens ; pedicello elongato, subexserto. 

 Frons simplex vel radiatim triloba, crassa, carnosa, subtiis margine squamis foliaceis pluri- 



seriatis instructa, lobis oblongis concavis margine attenuatis; pedunculo pedicellisque 



crassis, succulentis, teretibus. 



Athalamia pinguis, Falc. 



Obs, Genus Athalamia dictum propter flores receptaculo destitutes. 



Descr. Frond simple or radiately 3-lobed, very thick and fleshy in the centre, gradually 

 thinning off towards the margins, of a light green colour ; surface very finely and 

 densely papillated, without pores : lobes oblong, with somewhat wavy or sinuated mar- 

 gins, which are slightly erect so as to give a concave section across ; extremities of the 

 lobes retuse or emarginated, with the auricles inflexed : lower surface of the same 

 colour, bearing under the margin several rows of imbricated white lanceolate subulate 

 leaf-like scales, which are inflexed on the surface of the frond at the terminal sinuses. 

 Flower-stalk emitted from about the centre of the simple frond or its lobes, thick, suc- 

 culent, cylindrical and smooth, of a pale green, without any kind of pubescence, or 

 persistent paraphyses at the base. Capitulum 3-4-flowered, with no common recep- 

 taculum, the flowers being erect and immediately attached to the summit of the 

 peduncle. Involucrum none. Involucella tubular, of rather a tough and thickish 

 texture, slightly ventricose at the base, connate below at the axis, distinct upwards, 



