﻿of North America. 17 



rigid, opaque and blackened when dry, undulate-crisped, deeply 

 and irregularly dissected, ecostate, cavernose within, 10-25 cells 

 thick in median parts, becoming rather abruptly 3- or 2-stratose 

 at margin, often with large and abundant glandular-thickenings, 

 more or less lamellate-cristate, lacunose, the lamellae some- 

 times broad and leaf-like ; surface-cells somewhat distinct, 

 subquadrate to oblong-hexagonal," 30-75 X 18-40 fi % with large 

 chloroplast, inner cells much broader and longer in axile and 

 basal parts, but often scarcely larger toward the growing apices: 

 monoicous: antheridia in groups of 2-4: involucres often numer- 

 ous and crowded, but very rarely with the bases united in pairs, 

 subfusiform or narrowly cylindrical, often curved, 2-9 X -35- 1 - 2 

 mm., smooth, furrowed, or rarely lamellate, mouth repand or scari- 

 ous and erose-lacerate : capsule dusky brown to black, 2-9 cm. 

 (mostly 3-6 cm.) X .25— .5 mm., rather long-pedicellate, valves com- 

 monly a little twisted on drying, stomata abundant, the guard-cells 

 nearly colorless ; spores dark brown or black, 45-63 [i in maxi- 

 mum diameter, angular, the convex face with very numerous 

 (125-225) spines or papillae less than 3 ji in length, plane faces 

 granulose-papillate or sinuate-foveolate; pseudo-elaters fuscous, 

 60-25C X 8-14 jx y of 1-4 cells, geniculate and variously contorted, 

 sometimes branched. 



Exsicc. Hep. Am. 163. 



On moist banks. Common on the Pacific coast from southern 



California to British Columbia. 



A. fusiformis is a close ally of A. punctatus, differing in the 

 larger, thicker, more dissected, and usually more lamellate-cristate 

 thallus, the rarely geminate, often longer involucres, the longer 

 capsules, the rather larger, more minutely and thickly echinulate 

 or papillate spores, and in the longer, narrower elaters. In the 

 southern part of California it makes its nearest approach to A. 

 piinctattiSy but may be distinguished from that species after a little 

 experience by the characters of the spores and elaters. The in- 

 volucres in the Californian plants are rarely more than 5 mm. long. 

 A. fusiformis ripens its spores in California in April and May, 

 at which time the thallus has commonly become shriveled and 



inconspicuous. 



Following Austin's original description oi Ant hoceros fusiformis 

 three specimens are cited, as follows : " Observation [Observa- 

 tory] Inlet, Columbia, Dr. Scouler in Herb. Torrey ; also in Herb. 

 Taylor. California, Bolander. Oregon, E. Hall." What appear 

 to be these three originals are preserved in Herb. Pearson. Hall's 



