85 



On the Branch -bearing Leaves of Jtingermannia juniperina, {Sw .) 

 By Mr. Richard Spruce, 



Branch-bearing Leaves of Jungermannia juniperina, magnified. 



Shortly after my return from an excursion to the South-west of 

 Ireland, in the summer of 1842, having occasion to examine some 

 fine specimens of Jungermannia juniperina (Sw.), collected in com- 

 pany with Dr. Taylor, at Cromaglown, on the 13th of July, I noticed 

 that at the summit of one of the stems, the leaves were so closely 

 crowded together as to form a sort of coma ; and that from amongst 

 these leaves, which were spread out on every side and recurved, there 

 proceeded several minute branchlets, some nearly erect, others grace- 

 fully pendulous, resembling in miniature the flagelliform ramuli of 

 Mnium undulatum, Hedw. (Bryum ligulatum, Muse. Brit.). I imme- 

 diately placed the specimen under the microscope, and proceeded to 

 dissect it ; but what was my surprise to find that the branchlets issu- 

 ing from the coma, instead of being attached to the main stem, actu- 

 ally grew on the surface of the leaves, where they had all the appear- 

 ance of having been stuck on by art ! Each of the comal leaves bore 

 at least one branchlet. but some of the central ones two, not confined 

 to any particular point of the surface of the leaf, except that they ne- 

 ver arose from the lobes ; and they were clad with leaves and stipules 

 precisely like those of the stem, though of course very much smaller, 

 for the whole branchlet rarely exceeded in length the leaf on which 



