28 HEPATIC.-E. 



var. microjjhi/Ila Gotts. to have well-marked specific characters, but 

 whilst the late Drs. Carrington and Spruce did not think fit to 

 raise it to specific rank, I refrained from publishing it as such. Dr. 

 Spruce wrote me some time before he died that he considered it 

 had good claims to specific rank, adding that he had Carrington's 

 and Hunt's specimens from Grlengariff, &c., and Curnow's from 

 Cornwall, and found them essentially different from F. Tamarisci. 

 Herr Stephani, to whom I have submitted descriptions and 

 specimens, writes : '' This is doubtless a good species. The differ- 

 ences between F. fragilifolia Tayl. and it are — 



F. fragUifolia : F. viicrojjhi/lla : 



stouter. smaller. 



postical lobes cucullate. postical lobes longer, saccate. 



stipules cuneate, segments trun- stipules oblong, segments acu- 

 cate, J- only bilobed. minate, ^ bilobed. 



bracts $ obtuse, mamillately bracts ? acute, spinosely den- 

 dentate, tate. 



innermost bracteole large, seg- innermost bracteole small, seg- 

 ments ovate, apex acute, on ments lanceolate, apex subu- 

 one side connate with leaf. late, on both sides free. 



" There is little difference in the cells, but the dotted line of 

 large brown cells is uninterrupted in F. microphylla, and consists 

 of single scattered cells in F. frag Hi folia y 



This is certainly the species which it resembles most in size 

 and habit, from which it also differs in the persistent leaves, which 

 have a broader base at their insertion ; the perianth is also smaller 

 and oval. It diff'ers from F. Tamarisci in its much smaller size, 

 leaves more oval, with relatively larger postical lobes, stipules 

 oblong, and not at all calcarate ; from F. dilatata in its smaller 

 size, more oval leaves with dotted moniliform cells, stipules 

 with margin entire, antical lobe of bract serrate, and smooth 

 perianth. 



Description of Plate II. — Fig 1. Plant natural size. 

 2. Portion of stem with perianth, antical view x 24. 3. Portion 

 of stem, postical view x 64. 4, 5. Leaves, postical view x 24. 



