American Species of MarcJiantia. 249 



Argentina: Staten Island, Tierra del Fuego, C. Spegazzini 

 (listed by Massalongo in Nuovo Gior. Bot. Ital. 17: 258. 1885), 



Chile: San Augustin and San Francisco del Monte, F. J. F. 

 Meyen (listed in Syn, Hep.) ; Otway Gulf, P. Savatier (listed 

 and figured as M. tahularis by Bescherelle and Massalongo in 

 Compt. Rend. Miss. Sci. Cap Horn 5 : 247. pi. 4, f. //. 1889). 



The identity of M. Berteroana and ilf . tahularis was established 

 by Schiffner, although Nees von Esenbeck, in proposing M. 

 tahularis, recognized its close relationship with the older species. 

 M. Berteroana was based on specimens collected by Bertero on 

 the island of Juan Fernandez, while the type material of M. 

 tahularis came from Table Mountain in Cape Colony. The 

 Synopsis Hepaticarum recognizes both species ; it cites M. Ber- 

 teroana from Chile and St. Helena, as well as from the type 

 locality, and gives Devil's Peak in Cape Colony as a second sta- 

 tion for M. tahularis. Under M. Berteroana three varieties are 

 recognized : a, from Juan Fernandez, fi, hiflora, from Chile ; and 

 y, anactis, from Juan Fernandez and St. Helena. In a, according 

 to the description, the rays of the female receptacle are one third 

 longer than the involucres, the latter enclosing three to five 

 flowers; in (3, the rays are the same as in a but are fibrillose, 

 while the involucres usually contain only two flowers; in y, the 

 rays do not project beyond the involucre at all. 



In discussing M. Berteroana, Schiffner-'' points out that the 

 differences relied upon by Nees von Esenbeck in separating M. 

 tahularis are of no significance and that the same thing is true 

 of the differential characters assigned to the three varieties of 

 M. Berteroana. He points out further certain mistakes in the 

 original description of this species and also in the description 

 given in the Synopsis. He based his conclusions on a large series 

 of original and authentic specimens, several of which have been 

 studied by the present writer, and there seems to be no reason 

 for doubting the accuracy of his observations. 



Schiffner \yas apparently the first to give a satisfactory descrip- 

 tion of the scale appendages in M. Berteroana. He calls attention 

 to the finely crenulate margin, to the border of very small cells 

 in one or two rows, and to the sharp distinction in size between 



*" Oesterr. Bot. Zeitschr. 46 : 41-44, 100-103. 1896. 



Trans. Conn. Acad., Vol. XXI 17 1917 



