158 HANDBOOK OF BRITISH HEPATIC/E . 



compressed, subcircinate ij inch long, two 

 or three times innovant-furcate ; leaves 

 secund, roundish, ciliate-dentate, closely im- 

 bricate, erect ; dorsal margin straight, 

 strongly recurved, ventral projecting back- 

 ward, so as to form a crest with the opposite 

 leaves ; perianth short, oblong, scarcely ex- 

 ceeding the involucral leaves, and like them 

 densely ciliate at the apex. 



The typical form occurs — straggling amongst 

 moss or forming dense tufts (fig. in). Primary 

 shoots creeping, leafless, entangled. Secondary less 

 rigid, paler brown, ascending, simple or dichotomous, 

 innovant in older plants. Leaves bifariously im- 

 bricated, alternate, horizontally patent, roundish, 

 obovate, or trapezoid, with a broad rounded or 

 truncate apex, dorsal margin decurrent, entire, 

 reflexed, ventral rounded, dentate, or ciliate, superior 

 aspect decidedly convex (fig. 112). Texture thin 

 and semi-pellucid. Amphigastria general but 

 distant and irregular, minute, subulate, bifid. 

 Inflorescence normally dioicous, sometimes auto- 

 icous or with male and fertile shoots springing from 

 the same stolon. Involucral leaves slightly larger 

 than those of the stem. Perianth laterally com- 

 pressed, from a narrow base, curved to one side. 

 Calyptra pear-shaped. Capsule ovate, purplish- 

 brown, lustrous. Spores spherical. Perigonial 

 leaves six to eight pairs, closely imbricate in 

 two rows. Antheridia in clusters of two to four, 

 greyish-green. 



