42 BRITISH HEPATIC^. 



tlie base, not changed into a cylindrical saccate pouch, resembling that of Saccogyna. 

 Dr. Taylor's name had already been preoccupied by the Tricoccaceous genus Gym- 

 nanthes, Sw. Prodr. Fl. Ind. Ooc. (1788), -which, although subsequently conjoined by 

 J. Milller with Sebastiania, Spreg. Neu. Entoleck. ii. (1821), still ought to claim 

 priority. 



Mr. Mitten, in Hook. ill. Handb. N. Zeal. Fl. ii. pp. 751-753 (1867), divides 

 Gymnanthe, Tayl., into Tylunanthus, Acrobolbus, Lithocolea, and Bakmtiopsis. 



A comparison with the description oi'Nardia geoscyplia, De Not., p. 27, will prove 

 how closely the two agree in structure ; indeed, but for the absence of the rudimentary 

 colesule in Acrobolbus, they might justly be placed under the same genus. 



Zindigia, Gottsche, De Mexikan. Leverm., p. 120, n. xi. (1863), dififers from 

 Acrobolbus chiefly in the-calyptra, " tota libera (nee incrassata)," and entire leaves. 



1. Acrobolbus Wilsonii, N. ab U. 



Pl. X. Fig. 33. 



Jungermannia Wilsonii, Taylor in schedis. 



Acrobolbus Wilsonii, N. ab E. ; G. L. & N. Synop. Hepat. p. 5 (1844). 



Gymnanths Wilsonii, Taylor, 1. c. p. 192. 



Hab. Originally discovered by JK/iss^Mic/wMs near Bantry, 19 Nov. 1812, youngfr. ! 

 (Herb. G. Lyell, Esq., named by Hooker "J. capitata.") Banks of a ravine near the 

 Hunting Tower, Cromagloun, co. Kerry, Nov. 1829, fr. W. Wilson, Esq. ! Tore moun- 

 tain, Killarney, Sep. 1841, Br. Taylor ! Glengariffe, Sep. 1869, growing on Fndlarda 

 germana. 



This rare and curious species seems to be conflned to the south-west of Ireland 

 (Kerry) ; and only one or two fragments have been picked since Mr. Wilson was 

 fortunate enough to collect it in some abundance, and in a fertile state. He, indeed, 

 first defined the species, but specimens had been collected seventeen years earlier by 

 Miss Hutchins, a fact discovered recently, when, through the kindness of Sir C. Lyell, 

 I was enabled to examine his father's collection, and came upon a packet labelled 

 "new," and "J", capitata," in Sir W. Hooker's writing, but which proved to be the 

 Acrobolbus. 



Acrobolbus Wilsonii occurs in scattered tufts, epiphytic on the fronds of ^ocfeto 

 or Frullania, to which it clings by scattered fascicles of pale short rootlets, which are 

 most numerous towards the apex of the fertile branches. 



Stems (f. 33, 1) i to |- an inch in length, flexuose, creeping ; 

 texture cellular ; colour olive, or olive-brown ; viticulose. 



Innovations ventral or sub-lateral, slender, patent or divaricate. 

 Barren shoots about -^g" to •^" in diameter, decumbent, serpentine, 

 with smaller and more distant nearly horizontal leaves. 



Fertile shoots suddenly accrescent at the apex, often interrupted 

 from the growth of innovations, and bearing much larger erect 

 leaves. 



Leaves (f. 33, 2, 3) approximate, semivertical, roundish or obo- 

 vate (iV)' divided for one-third or even half their length into two 

 acute, unequal lobes, the ventral somewhat larger, rarely tri-lobate ; 

 sinus acute ; margin entire, except in the involucral leaves. 



