^jgP'"'] Bastow, Victorian Hepaticcv. jj 



involucres, along with minute chaffy scales. The elaters of 

 this plant are bi-spiral. The gemmiferous cups are full of 

 gemma; or buds ; these are scattered by the breezes and are 

 another form of reproduction, corresponding to the buds or 

 bulbils in liliaceous plants. 



In Zoopsis argentea we see a most singular plant, without leaves, 

 discovered by Dr. Hooker. Its fronds are very minute, about a 

 (juarter of an inch long by a twentieth in breadth. It sometimes 

 fruits, hence we know what it is. I was somewhat excited when 

 I found this, and, keeping a wary look-out in quest of other 

 j)lants, espied a lovely Hypneum chrysogaster, a mass of a bright 

 golden colour, around one of the branches. It did not take 

 me long to scramble up the tree over the stream ; but in that 

 fatal act the catch of my vasculum was caught, and I had the 

 mortifying spectacle of seeing my carefully wrapped specimen 

 sailing merrily down the stream, waterfalls and everything. 

 One grain of comfort I had, however, when I found Zoopsis 

 argentea — one silvery specimen — yet in the vasculum. You may 

 depend I had that catch made stronger, and another lesson I 

 received was to wear a cap, so that the branches could not 

 pull my hat off. In the gullies a hint to the wise is sufficient. 

 The Anthoceros is another strange plant ; it is shown at 

 Fig. 8. The fruit arises from conical tubercles, and resembles 

 a blade of grass ; but when ripe each blade sjrlits into two 

 halves, and the spores are resting inside, with the elaters 

 writhing about with the moisture imparted to them by the 

 breath. Fimbriaria is another peculiar form of the genera in 

 the Carnosas section, and under the microscope, with a i^" 

 objective, it resembles a couple of nets full of oranges : the latter 

 are the spores. Metzgeria furcata is a pale and pleasant green ; 

 it creeps over the bark of trees, and has a singular fruit. When 

 once collected, it will never be forgotten. With the aid of a 

 microscope the calyptra appears beset on every .side with 

 whitish hairs. It is a very beautiful plant, but very minute, 

 and some are beautiful microscopical objects. 



A great number of the Hepaticae are very small, and must 

 be examined rather closely in order to determine the genus. 



ist. — Determine if the plant possesses distinct leaves. If it 

 does, its genus must be looked for in the section Foliosa. 



If the plant has not leaves, but is simply a long or short thin 

 frond, it belongs to section Frondosse. 



If the frond is fleshy, with scales on its under side, it will be 

 amongst one of the six genera in the Carnosae. 



If the frond is fleshy, but without scales beneath, it then 

 comes under the section Anthocerat;e. 



Assuming that the plant to be identified has distinct leaves, 

 it is foliaceous, and the manner in which the base of the leaf 



