64 METZGERIACEAE 
11. SPHAEROCARPUS* Адапз. Fam. РІ. 2: 14. 1763. Ex 
Mich. Nov. Pl. Gen. 4. #/. 3. 1729. 
Gametophore small, orbicular, oblong, or cuneate, thallus-like 
and irregularly lobed or now and then subfoliose, of a few layers 
of nearly similar cells in central or median parts, the lobes unistra- 
tose unless at base, ascending or flat ; root-hairs smooth, colorless, 
long and numerous.  Dioicous. Sexual organs in most cases 
numerous and thickly covering the dorsal surface of the thallus, 
surrounded singly, rarely in groups of 2 or 3 (fide Leitgebt), by 
unistratose involucres. plants much smaller than the 9, 
scarcely visible to the unaided eye, commonly tinged with purple, 
oblong or cuneate, often once dichotomous or subpalmately 
lobed.  Antheridia oval, on very short stalks, the involucres 
flask-shaped ог subconical.  Archegonial involucres usually 
crowded and more or less completely concealing the thallus, from 
tubular or clavate to pyriform or subglobose, orifice reduced to à 
small apical pore, this often enlarged at maturity. Calyptra of 2 
or 3 layers of cells, usually ruptured early, the upper portion, 
with the archegonium neck, long persisting on the apex of the 
capsule. 
Sporogonium consisting of a nearly spherical capsule, a very 
short or almost obsolete seta, and a well-developed foot. 
sule indehiscent, its wall of a single layer of cells destitute of 
spiral, annular, or other local thickenings. Spores permanen 
adherent іп 45, or (S. Donnellii Aust.) becoming free at full matur- 
ity, or (5. cristatus M. A. Howe) separating early in the develop- 
ment of the sporogonium ; tetrads, when persistent, distinctly 
areolate, appearing crenulate, papillate, or subechinulate in optical - 
section ; spores, when separating, compressed-tetrahedral, rounded- 
NE E. 
*Mr. James Britten ( Journal of Botany, 36 : 397-399. 1898) ha recently called 
attention to the use in 1759 and 1763 of Sphaerocarpus as a name for the cruciferous 
genus commonly known as Леа. The name is said to occur in both th 
ћ : госатриз as a genus in the above use of the word in the 
се ition of Fabricius’ ** Enumeratio.” In any event, it would be a gross e 
о s pus “ the priority principle to annul the original Sphaerocarpus of 
ds у described and figured in 1729, in order to validate the application thirty 7 
ater of the same name to a totally different genus. 
TLeitgeb, Untersuchungen über die Lebermoose, 4: 67, 68. 1879. 
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