503 Mr. R. Spruce on the Musci and Hepatica of the Pyrenees. 



Plants pusillse, tenerrimse, i— | unc. longse, csespitosse, matrice 

 arete adfixse, instar Jg. bicrenatce suaveolentes. Caulis simplex, ra- 

 rius furcatus, e perianthii basi innovationes 1 vel 2 ante capsulse ma- 

 turationem involucro inclusas semper proferens, prostrata, apice fertili 

 tamen assurgens, longis radiculis pallidis radicans. Folia pallida 

 viridia, inferiora semiverticaliter affixa, subopposita, angulis dorsali- 

 bus subcontiguis nonnunquam connatis, reliexo-patula, ovata vel 

 ovali-oblonga, apice rotundata, integerrima ; superiora verticalia, 

 plerumque conferta, bast dorsali per paria conjuncta, apice margine- 

 que ventrali solis reflexa, raro apice retusa, obtuse emarginata vel 

 angulato-repanda ; involucralia caulinis superioribus simillima, paulo 

 majora, apice eroso-denticulata, cum perianthio ad basin concreta. 

 Amphigastrium involucrale, ovato-lanceolatum, obtusum, nonnun- 

 quam adest ; cseterum caulis omnino examphigastriata est. Perian- 

 thium terminale involucrum subsequans (in plantis minoribus densi- 

 foliis nonnunquam involucrum vix sequat, in elatioribus autem spar- 

 sifoliis involucrum plus minus superat), e foliis duobus plus minus 

 alte connatis conflatum et ex eo compressum bilabiatumque, labiis 

 subconniventibus, post capsulae emissionem baud raro collapsis, ore 

 tametsi apertum, eroso-denticulatum rarius subincisum. Textura 

 foliorum et perianthii est laxa, subpellucens, e cellulis majcribus in 

 reti typice sexangularibus, limitibus angustis, intercalaribus nuUis, 

 granis chlorophyllicis magnis baud numerosis. Calyptra obovata, 

 pallida, membranacea. Capsula fusca, subglobosa, tenera, laxe areo- 

 lata, ad basin usque 4-valva aut, valvula una alterave bifida, 5-6-valva, 

 pedicello pallido exserta. Semina grandiuscula, globosa, granulosa. 

 Elateres torti, bispiri, apicibus subobtusi. 



Florescentia dioica videtur. Plantce masculcc fcemineis tenuiores, 

 tota fere longitudine staminiferse. Folia perigonialia minora, semper 

 per paria connata, basi ventricosa, apice patula, stamina singula bi- 

 nave brevi-pedicellata circumscissim rumpentia in axillis foventia. 



Tab. Ill Fig. 1, plantce nat. magn. ; fig. 2, surculus sterilis a dorso 

 visus ; fig. 3, planta fertilis a latere visa ; fig. 4, apex plantce masc. ; 

 fig. 5, folia inferiora ; fig. 6, folia superiora ; fig. 7, apex folii ; 

 fig. 8, perianthium cum involucro a dorso visum ; fig. 9, perianthium 

 {effwtum et collapsum) a latere, cum folio involucrali arete retroflexo : 

 omnia aucta. 



Obs. A first glance at this pretty species reminds one of Alicularia 

 scalaris, but important diflferences are disclosed on a nearer exami- 

 nation ; still, an extensive comparison of apparently cognate forms 

 has convinced me that the Alicularice are in truth its closest allies. 

 If a perianth of Southbya and one of Alicularia scalaris be vertically 

 divided, and laid side by side, the relationship Vi^ill be clearly ob- 

 vious : the involucre is alike in both, and in both is it concrete be- 

 low with the perianth, which also is formed on the same type in 

 each. Could we now suppose the perianth of A. scalaris to be a 

 little elongated, or that of Southbya to be a little abbreviated, the 

 sole important difference would vanish. In reality, small forms of 

 Southbya have the perianth sometimes barely visible beyond the in- 

 volucre. 



