46 HEPATIC^. 



orbicular or ovate, turgid, margin entire, involute; epidermis 

 shining when dry ; cells medium size, 5- and 6-angled, lumen 

 pellucid or chlorophyllose, walls thin, trigones distinct. Stipules 

 distant, larger than the postical lobe of leaf, about twice as wide 

 as the stem, slightly decurrent, oval or subrotund, deeply bifid, 

 sinus broad or narrow, usually obtuse, sometimes acute, segments 

 obtusate or acute. Female flowers on lateral branches. Bracts 

 unequally bilobed, antical lobe obovate, rotundate, or obtuse ; 

 postical lobe much smaller, oval-oblong. Bracteole obovato-oval, 

 bifid to J, sinus and segments obtuse. Perianth projecting 

 about half beyond the bracts, elliptico-clavate, below terete, upper 

 part 5-plicate, angles obtuse, margin smooth, beak short. 

 Calyptra thick, obovate. Capsule ovato-globose. Spores large. 

 Androecia on chief stem or on lateral branches, below the perianth 

 perigonial bracts 2-4 pairs, closely imbricate, unequally bilobed, 

 antical lobe orbicular, postical rather smaller, oval, much swollen ; 

 antheridia 2, oval-globose. 



Lindberg described two forms as follows : — 



Var. jplaniuscula. Elongate, about 1 mm. wide, pale or green, 

 pellucid, when dry shining, less branched, intricate and fragile, 

 planiuscula, leaves more or less remote, antical lobe convexulous, 

 slightly decurved, obliquely ovato-oval, rotundato-obtuse, margin 

 entire, postical lobe 5-7 times smaller, stipules subadpressed, 2 to 

 3 times larger than the postical lobe, convexiuscula, rotundo-oval, 

 sinus more or less broad and obtuse, segments somewhat obtuse, 

 margin entire, perianth elliptico-clavate, below terete, upper part 

 5-plicate, angles complanate, margin smooth. 



Var. cavifolia. Smaller and often yellowish-pale or green, 

 very ramose, intricate and fragile, convex, leaves closely imbricate, 

 antical lobe obliquely broadly ovato-oval, very obtuse, apex 

 distinctly narrower but never acute, entire, postical lobe 3-5 

 times smaller, cells very chlorophyllose and thickened, trigones 

 distinct, stipules subadpressed, as large or larger than the postical 

 lobe, convex, oval-rotund, perianth narrow at the base, oval- 

 pyriform, upper 4th part 5-plicate. 



Dimensions. — Stems | to f inch long, -085 mm. in diameter, 



