HAiNUHOOK OF I'.RIIISH HEPATICit. 257 



Capsule four-valved, coriaceous, valves bear- 

 ing elaters at their apex. Elaters terminal, 

 solitar}^ naked, persistent. — Rru/di. J^tui^, 

 Etnisc, p. 45, 1820. 



Plants without leaves, frondose, fronds costatc. 



Metzg'eria furcata, Liftfi. 



Frond creeping, linear, dichotomous, mar- 

 gin ciliate, nerve villose. 



Jiuigermminia furcata^ Linn. Sp. 1602 ; 

 Hook. Br. Jung. t. 55, 56 ; Eng. Bot. 

 t. 1632. Metzgeria furcata, Dum. Rev. Jung, 

 p. 26 ; Gott. and Rab. Exs. No. 31, 119, 120, 

 179, 274, 357 ; Carr. and Pears. Exs. ^2, 73 ; 

 Cooke Hep. figs. 179, 180, 181, 182. 



On trunks and on the ground. (Fr. Spring.) 



var. y centgiiiosa, Hook. Fronds broader, 

 dilated at the apex, quite obtuse. — Jung, 

 fruiiculosa, Eng. Bot. t. 2514. 



Growing in dense patches, closely pressed to the 

 surface. Fronds 4 to i inch long, creeping, horizontal, 

 overlying each other in an imbricated manner, 

 linear, thin, membranaceous, slightly waved, mar- 

 gins entire, always branched in a furcate manner, 

 with the branches forked for the most part at the 

 extremity, apices obtuse, upper surface smooth, 

 margin and under surface beset with stout white 

 hairs. Colour pale and pleasant green. Throui^h- 

 out the frond and its branches runs a distinct central 



