320 HEPATIC^. 



16. Jungermania socia, Nees. 



Jungermania socia, Nees, Nat. Eur. Leb, 11, p. 72 (1836). 



Paroicous, Joosely caespitose, from small to medium size, dark 

 green to j:>ale browu in colour, sometimes with a slight purplish 

 tinge on the upper leaves. Stems simple or innovantly branched, 

 branches slender ; prostrate or suberect, flexuose, thick, somewhat 

 tender; radiculose, rootlets long, whitish. Leaves subinibricate 

 or ajjproximate, accrescent, obliquely semi-verticall}^ inserted, 

 horizontal or slightly ascending, decurrent antically, secund or 

 sjDreading, slightly concave, undulate, orbicular, ovate, broadly 

 ovate, or subquadrate, bifid to about J or ^, segments acute or 

 obtuse, sinus acute or rounded, sometimes trifid, the third seg- 

 ment being basal and smaller ; texture tender, cells smallish to 

 medium size, 4-, 5-, and 6-sided, quadrate or oblong-quadrate, 

 trigones very small but distinct, walls thin, lumen full of chloro- 

 phyl granules which often cling to the walls, giving them a 

 thickened appearance. Stipules generally present on the upper 

 portion of stem, absent below, free or connate with the adjacent 

 sub-bracts, lanceolate, ligulate, subulate, simple or rarely bifid. 

 Sub-bracts {$) orbicular, subquadrate, bifid-trifid, with one or two 

 marginal small teeth, usually two pairs, containing several 

 antheridia, which are large, roundish-oval with rather long stipes. 

 Bracts broadly ovate, irregularly dentate, bracteole oval or ovate, 

 bidentate, connate or free. Perianth terminal, projecting more 

 than J- beyond the bracts, cylindrical, subclavate, upper portion 

 slightly folded, mouth with 5 segments, margin slightly and 

 irregularly bluntly dentate, teeth one cell long, when young with 

 a slight purple tinge. Calyptra mitriform, ovate. Pistillidia 

 linear-oblong, about twelve. Spores pale brown golden colour ; 

 elaters rather short, thick, dark claret colour, very diff'erent in 

 colour from the spores, bispiral, spiral threads thick, closely 

 twisted. 



Pruits April, May. 



Dimensions. — Stems from h to 1 1 inch long, with leaves 2- mm, 

 broad, diam. 4 mm., diam. of young stem -25 mm. ; leaves '8 mm. 



