NOTES ON BRITISH HEPATKLE 259 



intermediate forms between L. Baueriana and L. lycopodioides have 

 been found, but that such forms do occur in Scandinavia. One of 

 these is represented in his Hep. ear. exs. No. 142. In a few 

 instances in Scotland, especially from the extreme north, I have 

 seen specimens which were difficult to distinguish from L. lycopodi- 

 oides, while one gemmiferous plant from Windy Clough, West 

 Lancashire, sent to me by Mr. Wheldon, closely approached 

 L. Floerkii ; but in the great majority of cases it can be readily 

 distinguished from both species. As Arnell remarks, it is fortunate 

 to have those forms which were formerly doubtfully placed to one 

 species or to another of this group, recognized as a separate species, 

 with the further advantage of being able to make more concise 

 the characters which distinguish the others. 



L. Baueriana is a very variable species ; none of the characters 

 which separate it from two above plants are constant, but they 

 must be taken as a whole. The following points are the most use- 

 ful in distinguishing it from L. lycopodioides. It is usually a smaller 

 plant, the leaves are more symmetrical in shape, and more fre- 

 quently only three-lobed ; lobes more deeply divided, ovate instead 

 of broadly triangular, and more frequently ending in a long bristle, 

 sinus more often gibbose. Male plants and gernmse are common, 

 while both are stated to be very rare in L. lycopodioides. The 

 gemmae form red clusters on the margins and apices of lobes of the 

 uppermost leaves, and are mostly irregularly 3-4-angled, but some- 

 times are ovate-oblong or oval. The distribution of the two plants 

 in Britain is also different. So far as I have seen in Scotland, 

 L Baueriana is a subalpine species, and is almost confined to the 

 east, centre, and north of the country, from Berwickshire to Caith- 

 ness and Sutherland. It is uncommon in the South-east Lowlands 

 and Fife, frequent north of the Tay, and rather common in parts of 

 the East Highlands and Caithness. It does not appear to be 

 common on the hills, but ascends to at least 2600 ft. on Ben Lawers. 

 Among the many English specimens of this group which I have 

 examined, there is only Mr. Wheldon's West Lancashire plant 

 which I would consider as belonging to this species. L. lycopodi- 

 oides is entirely an alpine species in Britain. It is oue of our 

 rarest species, and is only known from a few localities in the High- 

 lands. The specimens from subalpine localities which I have seen 

 in herbaria under this name have been L. Baueriana> except in one 

 case, where it was the male plant of L. quinqiiedentata (Huds.). 



L. Baueriana differs from L. Floerkii in the leaves being much 

 more frequently four-lobed, one or more of the lobes being usually 

 bristle-pointed. There are generally cilia at the base of the postical 

 margin of the leaf, and male plants and gemmae are common. The 

 leaf-lobes in L. Floerkii are frequently acute, but never bristle- 

 pointed; at the base of the postical margin there is usually, though 

 not always, only a tooth or process ; male plants are uncommon, 

 and gemmae apparently do not occur. This absence of gemmae 

 in Floerkii agrees also with the results of my examination of the 

 plant in Britain. 



L. Floerkii has been found in most of the counties of Scotland. 



u 2 



