Haynes : The genus Sphaerocarpos 219 



the name had been appropriated by Bulliardfor a genus of Myxo- 

 mycetesand by Gmelin for a genus of seed-plants. The Michelian 

 genus, however, was soon generally recognized and its acceptance 

 has been so universal that no synonyms for it are to be found in 

 the literature of the Hepaticae. To attempt at this time to rename 

 on account of a possible slight technical flaw a genus so 

 adequately established by Micheli (even though overlooked by 

 Linnaeus) would seem an act of violence to the spirit, at least, of 

 the priority principle. It may be remarked that -os and not -us\s 

 the ending of the generic name as used both by Ludwig and by its 

 originator Micheli, and that there are the same grounds for adopt- 

 ing it as in the case of Symplwricarpos, in which that termination 

 has already become familiar. In fact, the retention of the -send- 

 ing, it would appear, has been made mandatory by both the Vienna 

 Rules (Art. 57) and the " American Code " (Part III, Section I) 



Sphaerocarpos (Mich.) Ludwig, Def. Gen. PI. 501. 1760. — 

 Mich. Nov. PI. Gen. 4. pi. 3. 1729 



Sphaerocarpus Adanson, Fam. PI. 2 : 14. 1763 



Gametophores thallus-like, dioicous, annual, small, orbicular 

 to oblong or cuneate, simple or finally once to several times fur- 

 cate, the broad multistratose midrib passing gradually into the 

 lateral enfolding or indexed unistratose lobes, intercalary subapicai 

 lobes at length nearly equaling the lateral. Cells of gametophore 

 thin-walled, quadrate to long-pentagonal and hexagonal, without 

 trigones. Rhizoids hyaline, smooth, thin-walled, numerous. 

 Sexual organs thickly aggregated along the midrib of dorsal 

 surface of thallus. Antheridial plants minute, scarcely visible to 

 the unaided eye, tinged with purple ; antheridia oval, short- 

 stalked, their involucres flask-shaped. Archegonial involucres 

 tubular or clavate to pyriform or subglobose, sessile or long- 

 stipitate. Calyptra ruptured early, a portion with shriveled 

 archegonium-neck long persisting on the apex of capsule. 

 Sporogonium consisting of a globose capsule, an obsolescent 

 stalk, and a bulbous foot,* the last often remaining in the thallus 

 after the detachment of the capsule. Capsule indehiscent, its wall 



* The brood-bodies or gemmae mentioned by various authors, among whom Bis- 

 choff gave the best description with figure, this latter being copied by Pearson, are 

 probably to be identified with the bulbous detached basal parts of the sporogonia, 

 which in some species remains in thallus. The " griinlichen driisenartigen Korper" 

 mentioned and figured by Sprengel (Anleit. Kennt. Gewachse 318./. 7,?. 1804) are 

 perhaps the oil-bodies which occur here and there in the thallus of Sphaerocarpos. 



