476 HEPATIC.^. 



Lunularia cruciata (Z.), Bum. 



Lunularia vulgaris, Mich. Nov, Gen. (1729). 

 Marchantia cruciata, Linn. Sp. pi. 1137 (1753). 

 Lunularia cruciata (L.), Dum. Comm. p. 116 (1822). 



Dioicous, densely caespitose, medium size, pale shining green 

 colour. Fronds prostrate, divided into 3 or 4 lobes, furcate, 

 innovant at the apex, margin membranaceous, undulate, antical 

 epidermis distinctly areolate and porose, postical radiculose from 

 the midrib. Female receptacle stalked with four linear iobes ; 

 partial involucre at the apex of the peduncle, quaternate, cruciate, 

 spreading horizontally, apex vertically bilabiate, monocarpous. 

 Perianth none. Calyptra included, crowned with a style, splitting 

 above, pedicels the length of the involucre. Capsule exserted, 

 thin, dark brown, obovate, 4-valved ; dividing to their base, linear, 

 spreading, somewhat twisted. Spores small, roundish, j^ellow, 

 smooth. Elaters very long and thin, bispiral. 



Dimensions. — Fronds 2*5 cm. long, 5-8' mm. broad; peduncle 

 2-5 --3 -8 cm. high. 



Hab. — Moderately common. On damp shady paths in gardens, 

 neglected flower beds, crevices in old walls, and often exceed- 

 ingly abundant in greenhouses. Extremely rare in fruit, Minehead, 

 Somerset, West Cornwall (Hb. Eeader), Kew Gardens, Richmond, 

 Surrey. 



1 to 5, 7 to 10, 12, 15, 16. I. 



In North America, introduced into greenhouses, but always 

 barren. Europe, Africa, South America, Queensland. 



Obs. — Distinguished from other frondose species in its barren 

 state by its pale green, somewhat shining frond, dotted on its upper 

 surface with pores, and by the shallow depressions or cavities, half 

 surrounded by a crescent-shaped ridge, from which the generic 

 name Lunularia is derived. 



I am indebted for some of my notes to an interesting paper on 

 the plant by the Eev. H. P. Ptcader, M.A. (Midland Naturalist, 

 October 1884). 



