HEPATIC^. 279 



SO mucli resembles these, that we have thought a few- 

 remarks on them a suitable appendix to a history of the 

 Mosses. 



With that view we now proceed to briefly notice the 

 general appearance and structure of the Hepatica, or Liver- 

 worts — as the family is usually called, — concludiug with the 

 specific description of a few of the leading forms and species 

 generally distributed throughout the country, or more re- 

 markable for their size and beauty. 



The designations given to the family by respective 

 authors, and enumerated at the head of the chapter, afford 

 information on some points of their structure. Thus the 

 term Hepatica refers to the liver-like expansion of Mar- 

 chantia, and several species of the large genus Jungerman- 

 nia. Beoperculata of Mohr suggests the important cha- 

 racter of the want of an operculum, or lid to the capsule ; 

 and so on. To follow out this subject here, however, would 

 occupy unnecessary space; so we are content to append 

 the methods of classification adopted by various authors. 



In iuterual structure the great bulk of the Ilejmtica re- 

 semble the Mosses, being composed, throughout, of cellular 

 tissue, generally very lax, though in the MarcJiantuicea it 

 is dense and opaque. The loose cellular tissue of the Jim- 



