328 CRYPTOGAMIA— FILICES. Pilularia. 



In wet sandy ground in Scotland and Ireland. 



On the sands of Barry, by the sea coast of Angus. Mr. G. Don. At 

 BaldoglCj near Dublin ; by whom found I have no account. 



Perennial. July — November. 



A\'hole plant smaller, and much more slender, than the last. The 

 crown of the branching creeping root sends up several slender 

 stems, seldom a foot high, often much less, either erect or as- 

 cending, furrowed and rough like E. hrjemale, so that, except 

 its smaller size, this species is equally fit for use as a file. The 

 sheaths which crown the joints are rather more lax, especially 

 the uppermost of all, and their upper half only is black, crowned 

 with far more permanent and conspicuous white, lanceolate 

 teeth, the lower portion of each sheath being pale, or glaucous. 

 Catkin ovate, acute, blacker than in E. hyemale, with a more 

 slender stalk. 



The fibres of the root of this curious little species are remarkably 

 woolly, like those of Grasses that grow in loose sand. 



479. PILULARIA. Plllwort. 



Linn. Gen. 561. Juss. IG. Fl.Br. 1 143. Faill. Par. 159. Lam. 

 t. 862. Spreng. Crypt, f. 40. 



Nat. Orel. Filices, Linn. 55. Juss. 5. Marsileacece. Br. 

 Prodr. 166. 



Common receptacles radical, dispersed, globular, of 4, or 

 more, vertical cells, coriaceous, not bursting; the parti- 

 tions membranous, irregular. Anth. almost globular, 

 numerous, naked, simple, assembled in the upper half 

 of each cell, in nearly sessile groups. Germ, likewise 

 nmnerous, occupying the lower half of the same cell, 

 globular, with a conical stigma. Seeds enlarged after im- 

 pregnation, numerous, roundish-oblong with a constric- 

 tion, filling the whole cavity of the cell, each wrapped in 

 a close tunic of mucilage. 



As the bodies which occupy the upper part of the cells 

 waste away, those in the lower part gradually swell, 

 having the appearance oi' seeds, though Dr. Hooker, with 

 all his well-known acuteness of inquiry, could discover 

 no traces of organization. I know of no experiments to 

 prove their germination, but this may safely be pre- 

 sumed from analogy, as the afiinity of this genus to 

 Ferns and their allies, is presumed, from the involute 

 form of its shoots. If the embryo of Cycas bears so very 

 small a proportion to its large vitelhis, or rather albu- 



