Marchantia] HEPATIC^. 



103 



comes to maturity. The calyptra is obovate, tipped with a short style 

 and bursting irregularly for the emission of the capsule. The capsule is 

 ovate, pale greenish-brown, shortly pedicellated, so as to be protruded a 

 little beyond the calyx, and opens into about eight short and nearly 

 equal segments at the extremity, immediately overflowing with innume- 

 rable greenish-brown, spluerical seeds, intermixed with spiral filaments of 

 the same colour, and formed of a double nelix. When the capsules are 

 mature, the segments of the receptacle are frequently bent back, so as to 

 become erect from the expansion of the numerous capsules. 



Besides these two modes of fructification, we find, on sterile as well 

 as fertile individuals, at all seasons of the year, cup-shaped processes, in 

 various parts of the upper surface of the frond and always on the mid- 

 rib; of the same texture as the frond itself, but with more membrana- 

 ceous, laciniated margins; within which are contained several lentil- 

 shaped membranaceous bodies of a reticulated structure, and frequently 

 furnished with pellucid dots: these are the gemma:, which frequently 

 throw out radicles before leaving those receptacles, and, striking root on 

 the spots where they happen to fall, in time become perfect fronds. — I 

 have been thus particular in my description, as the structure of the other 

 species is very similar, while this is the most common of them all. 



2. M? IteviSj (smooth Marchantia). AVils. Mss. 



Road-sides, or banks, Ballilickey, Ireland. Mr. Wilson. Fr. ? 



Without perfect fructification. I do not venture to offer a specific cha- 

 racter for this plant, which, nevertheless, Mr. Wilson has determined to 

 be quite distinct from M. polymorpha t to which of all the known British 

 species it seems most similar, but agreeing as to its fructification 

 rather with M. conica. " Frond almost leathery, scarce!) Bucculent, of a 

 shining green above, and with many visible pores. PistUUferous receptacle 

 at first sessile, as in other species (at length perhaps elevated) depressed. 

 Pistils not curved as in other species, and not apparently surrounded by 

 an involucre, hence the Genus is doubtful. There are some obscure 

 traces of organization in the disk of the receptacle, so that it is possible 

 the perfect state may have anthers imbedded in this receptacle. 

 The compact imbricated and convergent BCales enveloping the fructifi- 

 cation are ut\ remarkable. — Fructification truly epipln llous and not as 

 in M. polymorpfia. 



:}. M. conica, I, inn. (conical Marchantia); receptacle of the 



capeille conical ovale BOmewhat angular nearly entire at the 



margin, that of tin- anth irs sessile. /./'////. ■*>'/'. /'/. />. 1604. 

 /;. Hot. /.:><>.!. Hooker, Fl. Scot. I\ II. p. 120. Muse. lint. 

 ]>. 221, — Dill. Muse. t. 75. f. I. FegateUa officinalis, Raddi, in 

 Opusc. Scient. di Bologna, c. -J. 



Sides of mill-ponds and Bhady banks, common. Fr. March. — / 

 procumbent, 3— ■> inches long, several times divided in a dichotomous 

 manner, the segments oblong, obtuse, margins scarcely waved or crenate ; 

 colour almost an uniform yellowish-green j texture more inclined to fleshy 

 than membranaceous, the reticulation larger and moredistim t than in an) 

 other species. Cells oblong and hexagonal, the central pore verj con- 

 spicuous and surrounded b) a whitish thickened margin; the midrib 



reel) distinguishable on die upper surface but l>\ a longitudinal de- 

 ion, beneath, however, prominent and thick!) covered, for its 



