210 TASMANIAN HEPATIC^. 



as identical : but they may be distinguished therefrom by their 

 soft, spongy, lax texture, by their leaves being destitute of 

 nerves, by their frequently less vivid colours, and by their 

 affecting moister situations. They vary in size, as do the 

 Mosses, from six inches long or more, and remarkable for 

 their beauty as well as their size, to very minute capillary 

 forms, scarcely distinguishable as plants without the aid of the 

 microscope. The fruiting specimens are not so easily detected 

 as they are in moss plants, but that apparent deficiency is 

 more than counterbalanced by the numerous and exquisite 

 forms of leaves (PI. iii.), which afford excellent characteristic 

 points for the determination of genera and species. 



It is probable that the Hepaticce grow in greater profusion 

 and variety, and attain greater size and beauty, in the densely 

 ferned and matted dingles on the moist slopes of the mountains 

 of Tasmania than in any other part of the world. A little 

 rough scrambling through the tangled masses of vegetation, 

 and a little climbing over fallen forest giants, yet keeping near 

 to the stream, and we are certain soon to discover the old 

 decaying logs completely covered with Hepaticce, — so much so 

 as to effectually conceal the decaying wood that supports them. 



Some of the cavities in the logs are matted with an abun- 

 dance of long, stringy, whitish plants, these are soft and 

 yielding Lepidozia (PL xxii.-v.), and charming objects 

 for the stage of the microscope, the leaves being scarcely 

 visible to the naked eye. Other logs will be found covered 

 with the giant amongst IlepatlcxB — Gottschea Lehmanniana. 

 It is of light green colour, and is suspended in masses over the 

 stream. The large size of this plant — six inches or more — 

 makes it a prominent object, yet its leaves are so curiously 

 laminated and folded that it is very difficult to dissect for the 

 purpose of absolute certainty in determination of species. 

 Some of the rocks are covered with a dark green moss-like 

 coating, rough velvety both in appearance and touch — the 

 genus Lejeunia (PI. xxvii.) ; although the leaves are 

 minute, each leaf is furnished with a sac, the water in the sac 

 swarming with moving bodies. Others are covered with a 

 light brown and beautifully pinnate plant — Polyotus magel- 

 lanicus (PI. xxix.), each leaf bearing a club-shaped lobule, so 

 curious an appendage that when once observed it will not be 

 readily forgotten. 



All the foregoing belong to that section of Hepaticce known 

 as FoLiosiE (PI. ii., f. 1, 2, 3). They are plants with distinct 

 stems, bearing distinct leaves. 



But there are other MepaticcB that have no distinct stems or 

 leaves, these organs being fused into one flat leaf-like frond, 

 hence the name of the section Frondos^ (PI. ii., f. 4, 5). To 



