HANDBOOK OF BRITISH HEPATIC^. 215 



olive brown or purple, sometimes nearly 

 black. 



* Form acutiuscula. Lobes divergent, 

 abruptly apiculate. 



** Form obtusa. Lobes rounded, obtuse. 



var. ft aquatica, Ldg. Shoots long, strag- 

 gling, repeatedly innovant, naked or ramen- 

 tose at the base, leaves irregular in outline, 

 often erose, 2-3 lobed, undulate, sordid olive 

 green. Ldg. Hep. Eur. 75. 



In running water. 



var. y minor. Smaller. Shoots subterete ; 

 leaves more closely imbricate, erecto-patent, 

 subcomplicate, round or subquadrate; lobes 

 bluntly apiculate, margin nearly plane, olive 

 brown or fawn-colour, sometimes livid green. 

 S. Ehrharti y julacea, Nees. 



On exposed rocks. 



No short description can be given of such a 

 variable species, consistent with the bulk of this 

 volume. It is one of the most easily distinguished 

 of our common Hepatics. Ehrhart compares 

 the form of leaf to a heart cut out of paper. 

 When occurring in mass on wet rocks by a moun- 

 tain stream it is beautiful and conspicuous. The 

 spores are round, fulvous i$fj. diam. Gemmae 

 are occasionally met with at the apex of the stem 

 and terminal leaves, they are elliptic, two or 

 three septate, and of a pale brown colour. 

 (Plate 5, fig. 6^ 



