CRYPTOnAMIA. 



377 



apparenfly distinct leaves, like Mosses. Anfhoceros^ 

 t. 1537, 1538, is a cuiious genus of the Hepatkce. 

 Liiiuas'ib comprehended this Order under the follow- 

 ini^ one, to which it is, most assuredly, far less akin 

 than to the foregoing. 



4. Algcs, Flags. In this Order the herbage is fron- 

 dose, sometimes a mere crust, sometimes of a leathe- 

 ry or gelatinous texture. The seeds are imbedded, 

 either in the frond itself, or in some peculiar recepta- 

 cle. The barren flowers are but imi>erfectly known. 

 Here we find that great natural Order, comprehended 

 by Linnreus under one genus by the name of Lichen, 

 the fructification of which, for the most part, consists 

 of a smoodi round disk,/ 198, flit, convex, or con- 

 cave, with or without an adventitious border, in the 

 substance of which disk the seeds are lodged. In 

 some others they are placed in powdery warts, or in 

 fibrous receptacles. The barren flowers arc supposed 

 to be powdery also,/ 197, very much like those of 

 Jungermannia. See Eiigl. Bot. t. 126, and various 

 other parts of that work, where a great number of 

 species are figured. The whole tribe has been much 

 investigated, and attempted to be divided into natural 

 genera Ibunded on habit, by Dr. Hoffmann of Goct^ 

 tingen, whose figures are perfect in their kind. But a 

 more complete scheme for reducing this family ta 

 systematic order has been recently made known to 

 the world by Dr. Acharius, a learned Swede, who in 

 hib Prodomus, and Methodus Lkhcnum, h.as divided 

 It iiio genera ibunded oii the receptacle of tlie seeds- 



