LEPIDOZIA. 



[ 384 ] 



LEPTOTRICHACE.E. 



are favourable subjects for the examination 

 of the internal structure, the tracheae with 

 their spiracles, the fatty body, the alimen- 

 tary canal, the spinning organs, the curious 

 legs, &c. 



BIBL. See that of INSECTS, and espe- 

 cially the works of Newport, Siebold, and 

 Westwood. 



LEPIDOZIA, Dumort. See HERPETIUM. 



LEPISMA, Linn. A genus of Insects, 

 of the order Thysanura, and family Lepis- 

 menae. 



Char. Body elongated, flattened ; anten- 

 nae setaceous, with numerous very short 

 joints; palpi four, long; abdomen termi- 

 nated by three long filaments jointed near 

 their ends. 



L. saccharina (PI. 28. fig. 18). Body 

 silvery-gray, not spotted, covered with nu- 

 merous scales; caudal filaments speckled 

 with reddish brown ; antennae about two- 

 thirds the length of the body. 



This active little insect, which runs but 

 does not jump, is found (in the country) 

 upon the shelves of cupboards where sweets 

 and other eatables are kept, in window- 

 cracks, &c. Its habits are nocturnal. Its 

 beautiful silvery scales are used as TEST- 

 OBJECTS (PL 1. fig. 6). 



There are many other species, the scales 

 of which probably exhibit the same struc- 

 ture. 



BIBL. Gervais, Walckenaer's Apteres, iii. 

 p. 450. 



LEPTOMITJE, Kiitz. A supposed fa- 

 mily of filamentous Algae, probably consist- 

 ing of the mycelia of Fungi. See ALG^E. 



BIBL. Ktitz. Spec. Alg. p. 148 ; Robin, 

 Ve'getaux parasitiques, 2 ed. p. 360. 



LEPTOSTROMA, Fr. A genus of Sphae- 

 ronemei (Coniomycetous Fungi), probably 

 consisting only of the younger stylosporous 

 states of species of HYSTERIUM or PHACI- 

 DIUM. Several species are recorded as 

 British, some common, occurring on the stems 

 and leaves of sedges, rushes, Pteris, &c., 

 forming small round flat spots, from which 

 the upper part of the perithecium splits off, 

 leaving a little margined scar, in which are 

 seated the stylospores. 



BIBL. Berk. Brit. Flor. ii. pt. 2. p. 297 ; 

 Ann. Nat. Hist. i. p. 257, vi. p. 365 ; Tu- 

 lasne, Ann. Nat. Hist. 2 ser. viii. p. 114. 



LEPTOTHRIX, Kiitz. A genus of Os- 

 cillatoriaceae (Confervoid Algae), perhaps 

 doubtful whether distinct and perfect plants, 

 found on damp stones, among wet plants, 

 and in foul water. 



L. ockracea, K. (Oscillatoria ochracea, 

 Grev.) is an obscure production, forming 

 yellowish brown flocculent masses, common 

 in boggy pools. 



L. buccalis and L. insectorum, Ch. Robin, 

 probably belong to some Fungus (mycelia). 



BIBL. Kiitz. Sp. Alg. 262, Tab. Phyc. i. 

 pi. 61. fig. 1 ; Robin, Vegetaux Parasitiques, 

 2nd ed. pp. 345. 355. pi. 1. figs. 1, 2. pi. 4. 

 figs. 1, 2. 



LEPTOTHYRIUM, Kz. A genus of 

 Sphaeronemei (Coniomycetous Fungi), ac- 

 cording to Fries, =Leptostroma, Fr., LEP- 

 TOTHYRIUM of later writers, is, according 

 to the same authority, the fruit of CRYPTO- 

 SPORIUM. 



L. juglandis, Lib., has been found in Bri- 

 tain. Probably all these are imperfect forms 

 of Ascomycetes. 



BIBL. Fries, Summa Veg. pp. 371. 423; 

 Berkeley, Ann. Nat. Hist. 2 ser. v. p. 371. 



LEPTOTRICHACE.E. Afamilyofoper- 

 culated Acrocarpous Mosses, branching by 

 innovations, or with the fertile summits se- 

 veral times divided. Leaves lanceolate or 

 awl-shaped, often canaliculate-concave, with 

 a nerve, mostly flattened, or terete; cells 

 prosenchymatous, often mingled with pa- 

 renchymatous, lax, or firmish, empty, not 

 unfrequently thickened at the apex, then 

 square. Capsule ovate or cylindrical, some- 

 times naked, sometimes erect, often stru- 

 mulose at the base; operculum conical or 

 subulate. Differing from Dicranaceae in the 

 absence of alar cells to the leaves. 



Synopsis of British Genera. 



I. BRACHYODUS. Calyptra mitriform ; 

 peristome simple ; teeth sixteen, very short, 

 broad, obtuse, irregularly torn, delicately 

 membranous, pale, very fugacious, equidis- 

 tant or a little confluent. Capsule elevating 

 a large annulus almost above the peristome. 

 Inflorescence monoecious. 



II. CAMPYLOSTELIUM. Calyptra mitri- 

 form. Peristome simple, of sixteen teeth, 

 equidistant, lanceolate, purple, dicranoidly 

 bifid, on an emergent reticulated membrane. 

 Inflorescence monoecious. Capsule annu- 

 late. 



III. SELIGERIA. Calyptra dimidiate. 

 Peristome absent or simple ; teeth sixteen, 

 equidistant, lanceolate, very flat, orange, 

 articulated, very smooth, sometimes perfo- 

 rated and fissile, or with a median line ren- 

 dering them fissile in the middle. Inflo- 

 rescence monoecious or dioecious. 



IV. ANGSTRCEMIA. Calyptra hood- 



