548 Evans: HEpaATICAE OF PUERTO RIco 
Britton ; St. Vincent and Dominica, Eliott; Trinidad, Fendler ; 
Venezuela, Moritz, Funck & Schlim ; Colombia, Moritz ; Brazil, 
Guillemin (the type specimen of P. Guilleminiana), Cifamisso (the 
type specimen of JZ. Bongardiana), Beyrich, Hantsch, Lindman; 
Ecuador, Spruce; Bolivia, Ruséy ; Galapagos Islands, Baur. 
The synonymy as given above is based largely on the work of 
Stephani. When he studied the Leseuneae in the Lindenberg her- 
barium * he found that Montagne’s specimen of P. Guilleminiana 
was identical with another Brazilian specimen which had been re- 
ferred to L. brachiata and which he considered authentic. He 
therefore reduced Montagne’s species to synonymy. Stephani’s 
decision was soon confirmed by Schiffner,+ who was able to study 
a portion of Swartz’s original Jamaican material in the herbarium 
at Berlin. Both authors agreed further that Z. Bongardiana was 
simply a very lax form of IZ. brachiata from wet situations. Spruce, 
to be sure, considered Z. Guilleminiana as distinct from LZ. Bon- 
Sardiana, but it is by no means certain that the Peruvian speci- 
mens which he referred to Montagne’s species were correctly de- 
termined. - These specimens were distributed in Hepaticae Spruce- 
anae, and, since they do not agree in all respects with West Indian 
material of MZ. brachiata, perhaps represent a distinct species. 
Judging from the specimens of P Bongardiana distributed by 
Wright in his Hepaticae Cubenses, this species might almost be 
considered valid. Schiffner states, however, that even these speci- 
mens, which represent an extreme form, are connected with typical 
M. brachiata by a series of intermediate conditions. 
Accepting M. brachiata in the broad sense of Stephani and 
Schiffer, it is certainly a most variable species. Its numerous 
forms show marked differences in size, in color, and in certain 
structural characters derived from leaves, underleaves, and floral 
organs. The lobes of the leaves, for example, may be entire oF 
dentate. The lobules may be strongly dilated and involute at the 
base so that they project forward beyond the line of attachment, 
hey may be but slightly dilated with the free margin extending 
obliquely from the axis, or they may remain in a poorly developed 
condition. The leaf-cells normally show conspicuous trigones, 
ae ei 
* Hedwigia 29: 6. 1890. : 
t Bot. Jahrb, 23: 581. 1897. 
