ADELANTHUS. 205 



erect or ascending fastigate stems, stems blackish, firm, simple, 

 rarely furcate or subramose, apices decurved ; cortical cells 30-36, 

 lurid, opaque, 10-12 cells in diameter, inner slightly smaller, sub- 

 pellucid ; flagella postical, few, only on the lower part of stem, 

 with very minute, tristichous, distant, subquadrate-rotund, pellucid, 

 rudimentary leaves, bearing fasciculate rootlets, tender, fragile, 

 towards the ends of the fiagella destitute of leaves, but producing 

 numerous rootlets. Leaves incubous, lower smaller, subimbricate, 

 appressed, upper larger, more crowded, decurvo-secund, rarely 

 distichous-patulous, obliquely inserted, antical base long and 

 gradually decurrent, subrhomboid or obliquely orbiculate, entire, 

 apex rotundate retuse, apiculate or spinose, bi-tri-lobate, antical 

 margin incurved, postical subplane or slightly concave. Texture 

 thick, epidermis a little rough ; cells medium to rather large in 

 size, hexagonal, walls firm, angles thickened or trigones distinct, 

 marginal cells distinct, thicker, subquadrate. Stipule on stem 

 none or rudimentary. Inflorescence ? postical, on very short 

 branches produced from near base of stem, rarely from middle. 

 Bracts about 9, in threes, tristichous, outermost minute, scale- 

 like, innermost a little shorter than the leaves, apex more or less 

 deeply bifid, segments patulous, free or subconnate at the base, 

 subentire ; $ branches excavate, cavity pyriform. Perianth twice 

 as long as the stem leaves, projecting far beyond the bracts, 

 narrowly obovate, pyriform, turgid, above obtusely tri- (rarely 

 4-, 5-) gonous, mouth at first connivent, afterwards subtrifid, sub- 

 denticulate or ciliolate. Calyptra a little smaller than the 

 perianth, pyriform, firm texture, composed of 3 layers of cells, 

 apex afterwards irregularly trifid, at base surrounded by few 

 (about 12?) sterile pistillidia. Andrnecia postical, whitish, 

 slender, julaceous or roundish, concinnate, produced from the 

 whole length of stem, but chiefly from near the base ; perigonial 

 bracts 12 pairs or less, closely imbricate, subcymbiform or cuccu- 

 late, very concave and subsaccate, but scarcely complicate, slightly 

 unequal, very oiten entire, rarely bidentulate, areolation very 

 pellucid; antheridia solitary, shortly stipitate ; perigonial bracteoles 

 everywhere present 2-4 times smaller than the bracts, subrotund 



