342 CRYPTOGAMIA— FILICES. Pilulam. 



vien, the sti'ucture of that organ, in so minute a seed as 

 this before us, may well be inscrutable. Only one spe- 

 cies oi Pilularia is known. 



1 . P. globulifera. Creeping Pillwort. Pepper-grass. 



P. globulifera. Linn. Sp. PL 1563. MMd. u.5.535. Fl. Br. 1143. 



Engl, Bot. V. 8. t.52\. Hook. Scot. p. 2. 1 60. Land. t. 83. Bolt. 



Fil. 72. t.AQ. Fl. Dan. t. 223. Bull. Fr. t. 3/5. Elirh. Phyt. 29. 

 P. palustris juncifolia. Faill. Par. 159. 1. 15./. 6. Dill. Muse. 538. 



t. 79. 

 Graminifolia palustris repens, vasculis granorum piperis semulis. 



Rail Syn. 13G. Moris. Hist. v. 3. 606. sect. 15. t. 7.f. 49. 

 Muscus aureus capillaris palustris, inter foliola foUiculis rotundis 



(ex sententia D. Doody) quadripartilis. Plttk. Almag. 256. 



Phyt.t.4S.f.l. 

 Pepper Grass. Petiv. H. Brit. t. 9./. 8. 



About the borders of lakes, or on gravelly heaths that are partially 

 overflowed. 



Near Slreatham Wells. Plukenet. On Hounslow Heath, towards 

 Hampton. Doody. At Hainford, and St. Faith's Newton, to 

 the North of Norwich. Mr. Crowe and Mr. Pitchford. Near 

 Yarmouth. Mr. D. Turner. About two miles from Mold, on 

 the north side of the Chester road ; Mr. Griffith. With. On 

 Hillingdon Common, Middlesex, 1 have often gathei-ed this 

 plant. Dr. Hooker mentions several places in Scotland^where 

 it has been observed. 



Perennial. June, July. 



Stems thread-shaped, partly branched, creeping close to the ground, 

 and sending down tufts of small, slender, smooth, simple radi- 

 cles, so as to cover a space of many inches diameter ; and bear- 

 ing larger tufts, of four or five awl-shaped, narrow, smooth, up- 

 right leaves, an inch or two long, opposite to each parcel of ra- 

 dicles, above. Common receptacles close to the leaves, solitary, 

 slightly stalked, globular, blackish, resembling pepper-corns, 

 but downy. These were observed by Doody to be " divided 

 into four parts," but this seems to refer to their internal 

 division, or cells, only, which are usually four, sometimes 

 more. The outer coat does not split asunder, except, per- 

 haps, when advancing towards decay, when the ripe seeds fill 

 the internal cavities, and are whitish, roundish-oblong, with a 

 contraction in the middle, and a terminal point, the whole coat- 

 ed with a glutinous transparent substance. The insertion of 

 the seeds, by their fleshy stalks, into the inside of the hollow 

 receptacle, resembles a Fig ; but this, though a singular point 

 of agreement, is the only one between these otherwise dissimi- 

 lar genera, nor does it indicate any natural affinity. 



