418 EEFATlCJi:. 



(AS pores with lamellae resembling crests, furcate. 

 a. Lamellae laxly disposed, 



1. Fossombronia pusilla {Bill., L.), Bum., Lindh. 



Lichenastrum minimum, capitulis nigris lucidis, Dill, in Ray. Syn. stirp. Brit. iii. 



ed. p. 110, n. 5 (1724). 

 Jungermania pusilla, L. Sp. pi. i. ed. ii. p. 1136, n. 27 (1753), 

 Maurocenia pusilla, Gr. & Benn. Nat. Avr. Brit. PI, i. p. G87 (1821). 

 Codonia pusilla, Dum. Comm. Bet. p. Ill (1822). 

 Fossombronia pusilla, Dum. Recueil, i. p. 11 (1835). 



Monoicous, very fetid, caespitose, small, green in colour. 

 Stems procumbent, about three times broader than thick, simple 

 or furcate, antical side plane, postical rounded ; radiculose, root- 

 lets numerous, long, purple-violet. Leaves 3 to 4 pairs, close, 

 obliquely decurrent, horizontal, subquadrate or narrow at the 

 base, undulate, crisp, entire, irregularly emarginate or slightly 

 incised, segments erect, acute or obtuse, those surrounding the 

 perianth (bracts) larger; cells medium size, subquadrate, walls 

 thin, no trigones or thickened angles. Perianth obpyramidal or 

 turbinate ; mouth wide, recurved, irregularly dentate or slightly 

 incised. Calyptra pyritbrm, whitish. Capsule spherical, reddish- 

 brown, walls thin, delicate, bursting irregularly into 4 valves. 

 Spores brown, tetrahedral-globose, with radiating furcate darker 

 coloured lamellse laxly disposed, margin with 16 to 24 blunt 

 teeth, Elaters pale brown, bi-rarely uni- or tri-spiral. Anthe- 

 ridia situated on the antical side of stem, near the base of the 

 leaves, exposed or enclosed by a bract-like process, spherical, 

 with rather a long pedicel. 



Fruit ripens in Autumn. 



Dimensions. — Stem about ^ inch long x 2* mm. wide with 

 leaves ; '7 mm. wide, x 2 mm, thick ; leaves 1'5 mm. x 1*5 mm., 

 1'25 mm. x 75 mm., 1'5 mm. x T mm,, 1' mm. x I' mm., seg- 

 ments "2 mm., '3 mm. ; cells "05 mm. x '04 mm,, '04 mm, 

 X -04 mm., -035 mm. x '03 mm. ; spores '04 mm., 'Oo 

 mm,; elaters '\b mm. x '01 mm. 



Hab, — On clay or sand, in shady ditches and on damp wood- 



