Hcpaticfv of North America. 37 



deciduous, more or less scale-like fragments; peduncles 2.5 cm, 

 high, rather delicately cellular, pale ahove, purplish below, 

 naked, (M(irc/i(niti(< fciicnt Hook., T)un(1t<( tcttera Gottsche, 

 D. imlHuci(h(fi( Mont. ) 



Hah. — Cali {Parry, Bigelow, liolandcr, Torrey). 

 Bib.— Syn. Hep. p. 554. 



Vir. ASTERELLA Beauv. 



Carpocephalum conic-hemispheric, becoming flattened, 1-6 

 (usually 4)-lobed, barbulate-palaeaceous beneath. Outer invo- 

 lucres 1-fruited, coherent with the lobes, 2-valved. Inner in- 

 volucre wanting. Calyptra minute, lacerate, persistent at the 

 base of the capsule. Capsule greenish, globose, nearly sessile, 

 rupturing at the apex by irregular narrow teeth, or by a frag- 

 mentary operculum. Spores tuberculate. Elaters moderately 

 long, mostly bispiral. Inflorescence monoecious; androecium 

 sessile, lunate-disciform. Thallus rigid, very indistinctly po- 

 rose, the midrib broad, strong and distinct. Name the diminu- 

 tive of Lat. (isfriDH^ a star, alluding to the mature carpocepha- 

 lum. 



1. A hemisphaerica Beauv. Thallus forking and in- 

 creasing by joints from the extremities, rather pale-green above, 

 purple beneath: carpocephalum papillose on the summit, di- 

 minishing greatly by age; peduncle bearded at its base and 

 apex, at first 2 — 2.5 cm. long, increasing often to 5 — 7.5 cm. 

 after maturity of fruit. {Rpboiilia hemifiphcerica Raddi, B. iiii- 

 crocephahi Tayl. ) 



Hah. — Shaded banks chiefly along streams ; common. (Eu.) 

 Bi7>.— Syn. Hep. p. 548, 790; Hep. Europ. p. 154. 

 Delin.—^n\\\\. Mosses U. S. t. VI. 

 Exsic. — Hep. Bor.-Amer. No. 132. 



VII. DUMORTIERA Nees. 



Carpocephalum convex above, 2-8-lobed. Involucres 1- 

 fruited, opposite and connate with the lower surface of the 

 lobes, horizontal, opening by a vertical slit at the outer extrem- 

 ity. Inner involucre wanting. Calyptra rupturing at the apex. 



