838 FLORA OF THE IVEL VALLEY, BEDFORDSHIRE. 



other small subgenera, Dlplasiolejcunea Spruce and Colura'Dvimovi., 

 which stand alone among Hepaticae in the possession of 2-ranked 

 bilobed stipules, one to each leaf on both sides of the stem ; as a 

 consequence the root-tufts are (or may be) as numerous as tlie 

 leaves. The accordance of Cololejeiinea with Dlplaswlejeunea in this 

 cliaracter, and some resemblance in habit, have induced previous 

 observers to place the two groups together, indeed to mix them up. 



We can now — thanks to the researches of Mr. Pearson — count 

 four species of Cololejeiinea in Britain, viz. L. calcarea Lib., L. 

 Bossettiana Massal., L. mieroscopica Tayl., and L. minutissima Smith. 

 The first of these alone is styliferous ; although L. mieroscopica 

 shows a unicellular papilla at the base of the lobule which may 

 represent a rudimentary style. I possess fine type-specimens of 

 L. calcarea, gathered in the Ardennes by Mme. Libert herself; and 

 I have gathered others exactly agreeing with them in various 

 localities in England, Ireland, and the Pyrenees — all having the 

 essential features of the species ; nor have I once fallen in with 

 L. Bossettiana. The most constant character of L. calcarea seems 

 to be the smooth lobule, the style sometimes becoming obsolete. 



In South America I gathered eleven species of Cololejeiinea, 

 besides some marked varieties which may hereafter take rank as 

 species. In all these the root-tufts are duplicated, but in none of 

 them can I detect a leaf-stjde, although I have scrutinised them 

 repeatedly. M. Stephani, however, has described three styliferous 

 species, viz. Cololejemiea stylosa St., from the Philippines (' Hedwigia,' 

 1888); C. trichomanis G., from Australia and C. histyla ^t., ivom. 

 Norfolk Island (' Hedwigia,' 1889). 



I ought to add that the late Professor Leitgeb (' Untersuch.' &c. 

 ii. p. 2 & 4) opined the style of L. calcarea to be a dimidiate stipule, 

 but did not assign any proof thereof . Dr. Gottsche (Reliq. Rutenb. 

 p. 362) denies its stipulary nature, bat does not say what he him- 

 self considers its true homology. 



FLORA OF THE IVEL VALLEY, BEDFORDSHIRE. 



By Jaivies Saunders. 



The following list of plants from the valley of the River Ivel 

 was made during a brief visit to that district on August 4th, 1889. 

 The names were written down at the moment of observation, and 

 in any doubtful case specimens were secured for future examination. 

 The visit was made with the intention of observing especially the 

 purely aquatic flora, for which purpose the river-bed and adjacent 

 water-courses were carefully examined for a mile or two above 

 Biggleswade, in the direction of Shefford. Possibly the most 

 interesting portions of the route were the disused canals or straight 

 cuts, which were excavated for the so-called River Ivel navigation. 

 These are now becoming choked with aquatic plants, notably with 

 Phragmites communis^ Equisetum limosiim, and pond-weeds. lu one 



