X0TE3 OX RADXOESHIRE HEPATIC9 193 



NOTES ON EADNOESHIRE HEPATICS. 

 By William Henry Peaesox, A.L.S. 



To judge by the meagre list of hepatics recorded for Radnor YI. 

 43 in the Census Catalogue of British Hepatics compiled bv 

 Mr. William Ingham (1913), few counties have been less explored 

 for hepatics, so I was glad to examine a collection made last April at 

 Aberedw by Mr. Harry Bendorf of Manchester, whom I have inter- 

 ested in the study of these plants. 



In the Census Catalogue only 19 species are recorded ; I have 

 been able to identify -13 in Mr. Bendorf's collection, which he informs 

 me was made withm a radius of two miles from Aberedw. I have no 

 doubt a further exploration of other parts of the county would very 

 much increase the number enumerated, especially if the more alpine 

 parts of the county were searched — Radnor Forest attains the height 

 of about 2000 ft. 



Amongst the most interesting of the discoveries is Lejeunea cavi- 

 folia (Ehrh.) var. heterophylla Carr. As Macvicar remarks (Handb. 

 Brit. Hep. p. 419) this is a distinct-looking plant ; the somewhat 

 distant leaves, with lobule minute or obsolete distinguish it at once 

 from the type ; although there were plenty of perianths on the plants 

 I was not able to find a single stem with the short male branches 

 which are to be found on the monoicous type. Should this prove to 

 be dioicous I should have no hesitation in considering it a distinct 

 species, Lejeunea heterophylla (Carr.) Pears. MS. This name may 

 perhaps be criticized by Prof. Stephani. 



In Journ. Bot. 1894 (p. 328) I described a species, Frullania 

 microphylla, which had up to then been considered a variety of 

 F. Tamarisci {F. Tamarisci yar. onicr ophy I la Goitsche). Stephani 

 (Sp. Hopat. 568) lists it as Frullania micropJiylla Gottsche, and 

 adds a footnote, " The plant is correctly published by Gottsche, since 

 it was distributed in G. k R. Hep. Ex., tlie name Pear.son as author 

 (who first described the plant) is therefore not admissible." In my 

 Hep. Brit. Isles I described it as F. microphylla (Gottsche) Pearson, 

 which I think is correct. 



Lopliocolea spicata Tayl. is another interesting record for the 

 county. I am sorry this characteristic name has been supplanted by 

 that of L. fragrans Moris & De Not., on the authority. of Schiffner 

 & Mueller ; Stephani, who draws up his description of L. fragruTis 

 from the actual plant, holds that they are distinct, and I agree with 

 him. L. spicata has not the fragrant smell which distinguishes the 

 genus. It is one of our rarest species, having a very limited distribu- 

 tion. For a long time it was only known from the south of Ireland, 

 afterwards it was found in Cornwall and Wales very sparingly, and 

 later by Mr. Macvicar in Scotland ; it has been recorded from the 

 Channel Islands and north of France. Many years ago, when the 

 only known stations for this rare hepatic were the south of Ireland 

 and Cornwall, the late George Stabler sent me a specimen from 

 Wilson, labelled ** near Conway." I made several visits to Conway 

 and searched the likely glens about there in vain : later I found that 

 Wilson had collected plants at Trefriw, a matter of 10 miles away 



