II. On the Structure and Contents of the Tubers of 

 Anthoceros tuberosus, Taylor. 



By J. H. Ashworth, B.Sc. 



[Communicated by Professor F. E. Weiss."] 



Received October 6th. Read October 6th, 1896. 



In the Synopsis Hepaticarum (Gottsche, Lindenberg 

 et Esenbeck, 1847) the occurrence of tubers in Anthoceros 

 tuberosus, Riccia vesicata, Riccia tuberosa and Petalophyllum 

 Preissii is mentioned. 



In Anthoceros tuberosus, the tubers were first described 

 by Taylor in the London Journal of Botany (1846, p. 412), 

 the specimens described being collected by Drummond on 

 the banks of the Swan River in Western Australia. This 

 account is quoted in the Synopsis, where the oval tubers 

 are described (p. 792) as occurring chiefly, but not exclu- 

 sively, in sterile plants, being formed at the ends of out- 

 growths from the thallus, and containing a farinaceous 

 mass within a deeply coloured envelope or cuticle. 

 Attention is drawn to the presence of rootlets upon the 

 tubers, and the latter, which are to be regarded as 

 gemmae, are said to serve as organs which can resist 

 drying during the hot period of the year. 



In Riccia vesicata (Taylor), the tubers are described as 

 oblong or round and provided with rootlets (loc. cit. 



P. 795)- 



In Riccia tuberosa (Taylor), the tubers are described as 

 pale yellow, rounded or oblong, slightly curved bodies, 



Nov. 17, 1896. 



