420 HEPATIC^. 



h. Crests crowded and numerous. 



2. Fossombronia cristata Lindb. 



Fossomhronia cristata, Lindb. apud Soc. pro F. et Fl. Fenn. (1873), Not. pro F. 

 et Fl. Fenn. 382 (1874). 



Monoicous, inodorous or very slightly fetid, csespitose or sparsely 

 gregarious, small, green or yellowish-green in colour. Stems pro- 

 cumbent, apex suberect ; radiculose, rootlets reddish-purple, 

 numerous. Leaves crisp, subquadrate, obtusely or acutely lobed ; 

 texture delicate, cells medium size, quadrate, walls thin, no 

 trigones or thickened angles. Perianth obpyramidal, mouth wide, 

 irregularly dentate or incised. Capsule globose, dark brown. Spores 

 dark brown, tetrahedral-globose, densely cristate, about 10 crests 

 across, sinuous or sub-parallel, 28-36 minute spines projecting 

 around the margin. Elaters pale brown, short, thick, bi- rarely 

 uni- or tri-spiral. 



Fruit ripens in Autumn. 



Dimensions. — Stems about \ inch long, '3 mm. thick ; leaves 

 1* mm. X 1- ram., segments '2 mm., '3 mm., 7 mm. x 

 •8 mm. ; seg. '1 mm., "2 mm. ; '7b mm. x "75 mm. seg. "2 mm., 

 •3 mm.; '9 mm. x '8 mm., seg. "3 mm., '4 mm. ; cells -05 mm. x 

 •04 mm., -04 mm. x '03 mm. ; bract 1-25 mm. x 1-25 mm., seg. 

 '4 mm. ; calyptra "7 mm. x '5 mm. ; capsule "4 mm. ; spores 

 •04 mm., •OS mm. ; elaters "13 mm. x •Ol mm. 



Hab. — On bare damp soil on footpaths, sides of ditches, 

 margins of ponds, and fallow fields. Eare. 



2. Aston and New Forest, Hampshire, C. Lyell. Ashdown 

 Forest, G. E. Davie-s, November 1884. 5. Staffordshire, Rev. 

 H. P. Reader. 10. Side of pool, near R. Foss, Yorkshire, 

 W. Ingham. 16. Moidart, West Inverness, 8. M. Macvicar. 



I. On whitish clay, shore of Loughbrickland, Co. Down, 

 Rev. H. IF. Lett, October 1890. 



Found on the Continent and in North America. Himalaya, 

 Gamble vide Stephani. 



Obs. — Distinguished from Fossombronia jy?^5z7/<? (L.) by its 



