241 



A NEW HEPATIC. 



By W. H. Pearson. 



(Plate 358.) 



Plagiochila Stabler!, n. sp. Dioicous, loosely crespitose, small, 

 pale to brownish green in colour. Stems creeping, simple or irre- 

 gularly branched ; branches ascending, radiculose ; rootlets few, 

 single, white. Leaves imbricate or distant, bifarious, alternate, 

 horizontal or patent-divergent, largest near the middle of the stem, 

 very slightly or not at all decurrent antically, plane or slightly 

 concave, oblong-quadrate, oval or subcuneate, bidentate to about 

 one-fourth, retuse or entire, margin quite entire; texture somewhat 

 thick ; cells from moderate to largish in size, roundish-quadrate ; 

 walls thick, angles thickened. Stipules evident, simple or bifid, 

 segments subulate. 



Dimensions. Stems ^ in. long, with leaves 1-25 mm. wide; 

 diameter of stem 0-15 mm. ; leaves 0-7 X 0*5 mm., 0-5 x 0-5 mm., 

 0-7 X 0-45 mm. ; segments 0-2 mm., 0-6 x 0-5 mm., 0-7 X 0-55 mm. ; 

 segments 0-1 mm. ; cells 0-04 x 0*045 mm., 0-04 x 0-04 mm., 

 0-035 X 0-04 mm., 0-035 x 0-035 mm. ; stipules 0-225 x 005 mm., 

 0-2 X 0-08 mm., 0-2 x 0-04 mm. 



Hab. On rocks near Fall, Eydal Park, Kydal, Westmoreland, 

 Mr. George Stabler, Sept. 1877. 



Obs. Although the small flagelliferous varieties of P. spinulosa 

 (Dicks.) and P. punctata Tayl. are numerous, P. Stahlerl cannot be 

 confounded with any of them, the almost horizontal insertion of 

 the bidentate, retuse or entire leaves, which are nearly plane, and 

 their much larger cells at once distinguish the species. 



P. tridentieulata Tayl., which has usually bidentate leaves, 

 oblong-oval in shape, with a very narrow base and small cells, is 

 very distinct. 



P. exifjua Tayl. has very decurrent leaves of a different shape, 

 with an extremely narrow base ; cells much smaller. 



Leptosci/phiis interruptus (Nees), with which it agrees somewhat, 

 in the insertion of its leaves, is a much more robust plant, with 

 usually entire leaves and less evident stipules. 



Description of Plate 358. — Fig. 1. Plants, natural size. 2. Plant, antical 

 view, X 24. 3-8. Leaves, x 31. 9. Portion of leaf, x 290. 10-12. Stipules, 

 X85. 



JouRNAti OP Botany. — Vol. 34, [June, 1896.] 



