BY B. CAEEINGTON, M.D., F.E.S.,E. AND W. H. PEARSON, ESQ. 11 



61. Anthoceros longispiexjs n. s]^. 



Monoicous ; fronds large, dark green, older portion yellowisli, 

 irregularly oblong-quadrate or flabelliform, broadly nerved, 

 lobate, lobes cuneate, flabelliform, concave, laciniate-crenate, 

 gemmiparous, slightly glandular ; involucre very long, cylindrical, 

 remarkably thick and fleshy, mouth contracted and thinner, 

 irregularly notched, capsule long, joale brown, slender ,splitting into 

 2 valves ; spores greenish, minutely verruculose, elaters very 

 long, unispiral. 



Plant growing in large patches of a dark green colour, the 

 older imbricated portion discoloured,yellowish beneath. Frond 

 large, very irregular in shape, usually oblong-quadrate or 

 flabeliform, irregularly lobed ; texture somewhat fleshy, 

 broadly nevved, i.e., thicker at the middle, gradually becoming 

 thinner towards the margin (8 to 12 cells thick near the 

 middle, cells small and closely packed, 1 to 2 cells thick^ near 

 the margin laxer) ; lobes short, cuneate, margin ascending, 

 laciniate-crenate, much malformed and crisped by the 

 gemmiparous growths. 



Within the margin of the fronds scattered, sessile, glandular 

 cells are met with, surface of frond otherwise smooth. 



Inflorescence monocious. Involucres numerous, usually 

 arising in two's or foLir's from the thickened portion of frond 

 near the end, narrow and very long, fleshy, 8 to 12 cells thick 

 near the middle, 1 to 2 near the mouth. 



When old and dry, mouth contracted, smooth, plicate, 

 irregularly notched. Capsule pale brown, long, slender, 

 splitting into 2 valves ; columella filiform. 



Spores greenish, minutely verruculose. Elaters remarkably 

 long, enclosing a single^ broad, loosely coiled, brown spiral 

 band. 



Measurements: Fronds about 1 in. long, 1^ to 2 cm broad; 

 lobes, 5 mm broad ; fronds, -04 mm to "05 mm thick in the 

 middle, -01 mm to -02 mm thick near the margin ; cells of 

 upper layer, "025 mm ; involucre, 1 cm to 1 cm 5 mm long, 

 1 mm to 1-5 mm broad ; capsule, 1^ in. long. 



Habitat, St. Crispin's Well, Mount Wellington. 



Obs. — The remarkably fleshy involucre and the length and 

 perfection of the elaters distinguish this species from A. laevis. 

 The prescence of glands associates it with A. glandulosa, Lehm., 

 but that species is covered with glands, giving the plant a very 

 peculiar character. 



Dr. Spruce mentions Amazonian species having long elaters, 

 but no species known to us possesses the characters given in 

 the diagnosis. 



