76 Bastow, Victorian Hepatic^. [vok'x 



Vict. Nat. 

 XXI. 



Hcpatice have no distinct stem or leaf ; these are fused into 

 one large leaf-like frond, and are named the Frondosse. To 

 this section the Metzgeria belongs ; it will be found forming 

 a perfectly fiat network around the Imrk of living trees. It is 

 well to take the bark of the tree, and the student will be amply 

 repaid when he is settled down to examination with tht; 

 microscoj^e. 



Another section of this order is called Carnos;e. Here the 

 fronds are fieshy, broad, and of a vivid green colour, with many 

 scales on the under side. They cover moist rocks and stumps, 

 and sometimes grow on earth. By the aid of a pocket lens 

 the gemma cups will be observed, surrounded with a beautiful 

 pelhicid fringe ; they will remind the ol^server of a miniature 

 bird's nest with eggs in it. In the Marchanlia polymorphiis 

 these cups are all round ; in Lunularia they (the cups) are 

 lunate or crescent-shaped, and are common in Fitzroy Gardens. 



The remaining section — the AnthoceratcC — have also fleshy 

 fronds, but are without scales underneath. 



The plants of this natural order are nearly always j^ro- 

 cumbent. The dorsal side is the upper side as it grows ; the 

 ventral side is next to the ground. 



The reproduction processes are similar to those of the mosses. 

 The antheridea (the male organs) and the archegonia (female 

 organs) are shown on the illustration at Fig. 42. The latter — 

 the archegonia — are slender, flagon-shaped liodies, with a central 

 cavity communicating with the atmosphere by a tui)ular neck ; 

 in the cavity there are loose, solitary cells, and the anthropoids 

 gain access thereto and fertilize the same. The antheridia are 

 small round bodies, usually solitary, in the axils of the leaves ; 

 these antheridia contain cells with si)ira] filaments — the 

 antherozoids. 



The stipules are a third rank of leaves, and afford a siiecilic 

 character to the plant when they are present. Sometimes they 

 are much divided, and sometimes entire. The stem is fre- 

 quently beset with numerous ladicles, which materially assist 

 in maintaining the j)lant. Other Hepatica; have no distinct 

 stem nor leaves, these organs being fused into one flat leaf-like 

 frond, and named in the key the ('.arnosje. To this section of 

 Hei)atic;e the Marchantia belongs. It usually grows in 

 salubrious situations or near water, and sometimes it finds a 

 home in the hot-house. It is a uniform dull green colour, 

 usually once or twice dichotomous {i.e., forked), and is covered 

 below with numerous silken radicles. The receptacle of the 

 antheridia of Marchantia is on a short stalk near the end of a 

 frond, and on the top side of the stalked receptacle the antheridia 

 are immersed. The female receptacle is also {pedunculated, 

 and is divided into eight or ten decurved rays, covering as many 



