BY DR. B. CARRINGTON AND W. H. PEARSON. 1055 



45 RiCCARDIA MINIMA, 11. Sp. 



Dioicous ; fronds minute, densely pulvinate, pale green, un- 

 altered when dry, ramification bipinnate or polydactylous ; stems 

 convex on the lower surface, plane above, a single lateral row of 

 cells projects from one or both borders, apex of the shoots gemmi- 

 parous, gemmae very minute, dark green; small, clavate, claret- 

 coloured, unicellular bodies irregularly scattered under the inferior 

 surface; involucre postical, surrounded by fringed bracts ; fructi- 

 fication wanting. 



Tufts small, densely pulvinate. Fronds minute, intricately 

 entangled at the base, pale green even when dry. Stems short, 

 recurved, bipinnate or polydactylous, linear, slightly narrowed 

 upward, convex on the under surface plane above, the young 

 branches narrowed and more obtuse, near the apex somewhat 

 terete, 12 to 18 cells wide by 6 cells deep on a cross-section, 

 almost equal in size, marginal cells similar, the upper layer of cells 

 oblong-quadrate in the middle of the frond, quadrate near the 

 margin from which a single row of cells projects from one or both 

 sides. Rootlets wanting. Scattered irregularly on the under 

 surface are small, clavate, claret-coloured, unicellular bodies, of 

 doubtful nature. 



Gemmiparous at the apex ; gemmje extremely minute, dark- 

 green. Inflorescence dioicous. Involucre postical, only immature 

 involucra surrounded by two fringed bracts seen, teeth one and 

 two cells long, obtuse. 



Measurements. — Fronds 5- to 10- mm. long, -4 to -5 mm. diam., 

 •15 mm. thick ; cells of upper layer -04 x •04 mm., •OS x -04 mm., 

 •04 X •03 mm., -07 x -03 mm. 



Eah. — On the surface of peat, in bogs, Coogee Bay, N.S.W., 

 May, 1885. 



