16 HEPATIC^. 



Subtribe II. POEELLE^. 



Plants large, handsome. Stems springing from a creeping 

 radiculose caudex, plumseformi-pinnate or bipinnate, somewhat 

 radiculose, all the branches lateral and infra-axillary. Leaves 

 incubous, complicato-bilobate, the inferior lobule decidedly smaller 

 and ligulate. Stipules of equal size with the lobules, now and 

 then radiculose. Inflorescence dioicous. Flowers $ constantly 

 monandrous. Flowers ? terminal on an extremely short lateral 

 branch {i.e. cladogenous.) Perianth compressed a little at the 

 front, trigonous, the third angle postical, 3-10 plicate, the 

 laciniolate mouth at first contracted, finally gaping or bilabiate. 

 Calyptra free. Capsule large, globose, quadrivalvate to the base ; 

 the valves often imperfectly separated at the base and irregularly 

 lacerate. 



Subtribe III. PTILIDEiE. 



Plants usually large, often beautifully coloured, whitish, 

 yellowish, or rosy, sometimes blood-red. Stems in most cases 

 arising from a creeping radiculose, often also flagelliferous caudex, 

 p innately or indefinitely ramose, sub-radiculose, branches either 

 all lateral or some postical, but the female fiower always terminal 

 on the stem or on a longer or shorter lateral (never on a postical) 

 branch. Leaves incubous, transverse or succubous, nearly of the 

 same size and of the same shape as the stipules which are always 

 present, canaliculate, but very rarely complicate, bi-multifid, often 

 elegantly ciliate or torn into capillary lacinise. Infloresence 

 dioicous in every species (with the sole exception of Anthelia 

 Jiiratzkana'^). Flowers $ in species with succubous leaves, 

 monandrous ; in those with incubous leaves, generally diandrous. 

 Female bracts in several pairs, either all free or the inner ones 

 adnate to the perianth, sometimes to the calyptra. Perianth 

 (when present) very slightly, frontally compressed, traversed 

 by 3-10 keels or folds, rarely ecarinate, constricted or truncate 

 at the mouth, free from the inner bracts or, in some genera, 

 adnate to and covered up by them ; sometimes absent. Calyptra 



