ASTERELLA 49 
Clevca limbata Solms р.р.; Stephani, Bull. Herb. Boiss. 6: 773. 
1898. 
Thallus 8-25 mm. long, usually 1-3 times dichotomous, rarely 
simple, the ultimate segments emarginate, obovate, obcordate, or 
broadly oblong, indistinctly areolate, 4-12 mm. in maximum width, 
abruptly carinate, lightly concave above, sometimes narrowly cana- 
liculate toward apex, 25-35 cells thick in axile parts, with rather 
large air-cavities, margins undulate-crenate, commonly broad, thin, 
and brownish-purple, ascending on drying, or occasionally erect 
and connivent, the reddish-purple scales subovate or ovate-lanceo- 
late, not reaching to the margin or sometimes inconspicuously pro+ 
jecting and inflexed toward the apex, each with 1-4 slenderly 
acuminate or subfiliform, nearly entire, often decolorate, apical 
processes: dioicous: ¢ and 9 plants mostly in separate patches ; 
antheridia in clearly circumscribed, slightly elevated, strongly pap- 
illate, oval to linear-oblong, sometimes forked discs, situated in 
the median line of the thallus at some distance back of the apex : 
9 receptacle from the apex of the thallus, bearing 2 or 3 arche- 
gonia in each of the 4 or 5 groups, maturing 1-5 (commonly 4) 
sporogonia, large (4-7 mm. in maximum width), finally subhemi- 
spherical, convex-umbonate, nearly smooth above, containing large 
air-chambers and becoming vesicular-rugose in drying, paleaceous- 
barbate beneath, with strongly defined, rather turgid, often spread- 
ing, entire or crenate-margined lobes ; peduncles stramineous, stout, 
10-30 тт. x .5—6 mm., naked or very sparingly pilose, without 
paleae at base, sulcate, angled, and slightly twisted when dry ; 
pseudoperianth white, large, ovate, 12-16 cleft, the segments co- 
evidently the ** broad, wavy, dark purple, membranaceous margin of the frond’’ of 
this that suggested the name. Others, however, might contend that the name should go 
with the more complete capsule-bearing plant. If retained for the former (the Asterel/a), 
it would appear to have four years priority over the name Californica, and would thus, 
in accordance with the Rochester Code, replace this latter name But the determina- 
tion of sterile and even of antheridiiferous thalli of the Marchanticeae is sometimes a 
difficult and delicate matter, and it is to be feared that in this particular case the iden- 
tity of the scanty material upon which <“ Saueria limbata " was chiefly founded might 
always be more or less of a “Бопе of contention.” The unsatisfactoriness of this 
material may be seen from the fact that while we identify it without hesitation with 
Asterella Californica, a botanist of the experience and high standing of Count Solms - 
aubach refers it without reserve to the genus C/evea. Under these circumstances it 
seems to us the wiser course to leave aside altogether the name limbata 
* * # * * ж * 
Since the above note was written, Count Solms-Laubach, to whom we had sent а 
specimen of Asterella Californica for comparison, admits (Bot. тай 571: 39 6 Р. 
1899) that we have shown ** ziemlich zweifellos ” its identity with the sterile portion 
of the original ** За ria limbata” material 
