HEPATIC^. 



INTRODUCTION. 



Habit. — Frequently growing in matted tufts, sometimes 

 straggling amongst mosses, or creeping over rocks, stones, or 

 trees. (With the description of each species particulars are given 

 of their varied habit.) 



Flagella are the whip-like processes some genera bear ; they 

 are either furnished with rootlets and minute rudimentary leaves 

 or are destitute of them. 



Size. — The stems of the British Hepaticse vary from about 

 2 mm. to 5 or 6 inches in length. The following is an explana- 

 tion of the terms used to indicate their size : 



" Very long," 3 to 6 inches. 



" Large," about 3 inches. 



" Largish," about 2 inches. 



" Medium," about 1 to l^ inch. 



"Small," J to 1 inch. 



" Minute," ^ of an inch to 2 mm. to 3 mm. 



Colour. — Commonly pale or yellowish to dark green, but 

 some varying from silvery white to black, others red or purple. 



Stem. — The Hepatica) may be grouped in two divisions, the 

 frondose and the foliose ; but in certain genera both occur, which 

 show that this division is more or less artificial ; yet in the study 

 of our British species it is a useful distinction. 



The frondose group comprise those genera which have a 

 flattened frond without any distinct stem, stem confused with 

 the lamina, or stem with wings or lamina on either side; they 

 are usually prostrate. 



D. H. HILL LIBRARY 

 North Carolina State College 



