65 



Section I. ACROCAEPI. 



Subsection I. ASTOML 



ANDEE^A, Ekrh. (Split Moss.) 



(Forming the Class SclmtocarjA and Tribe Andreacea 



of others.) 



This is in various respects a peculiar genus. It holds as 

 it were an intermediate position between the true Mosses 

 and the genus Jungermannia, of the large family of Hepa- 

 ticcB or Liverworts, among the latter of which it was placed 

 by Linnaeus; and Dr. Lindley, in his 'Vegetable King- 

 dom/ gives it rank as a separate natural family — Andreacece. 

 Ehrhart, who instituted the genus, classed it with Alga. 



All the European species are found in Britain, and seve- 

 ral new species have been lately discovered and described 

 by Dr. J. D. Hooker, in the Auckland and adjacent islands. 

 When they occur in quantities on our mountains, they give 

 a shade of red-brownish colour to the rocks on which they 

 grow ; and when examined by a lens of considerable power, 

 the leaves are beautiful objects of a rich transparent orange- 

 brown tint. 



Generic Character. — Capsule four-valved ; the valves cohering 



