48 BRITISH HEPATIC^. 



ing on the underside ; growing on rocks, and the trunks of trees, 

 in sub-alpine districts. 



Etym. — a/STTij, a siclcle ; and at/flog, a flower. 



Obs. — Under Ha/rpanthus, N. ab E. placed only H. Flotovianus, the name being 

 derived from the curved fusiform colesule of that species. 



But, as our gifted countryman R. Spruce pointed out (Hepat. Pyr. in Trans. 

 Ed. Bot. S. V. iii. p. 210) J. scutata, Web. & M., ought also to be included in the 

 genus. Since the early volumes of the Transactions are now scarce, I need not apolo- 

 gize for quoting the passage : — 



" The fructification of this plant is truly lateral (ramulo fertili e ventre caulis 

 exeunte), and not as described in Synopsis Hepaticarum, p. 101, ' perianthio termi- 

 nali, mox dorsali,' for an instance of which I have in vain searched perhaps a hundred 

 fertile stems." (Mr. Spruce is, I think, mistaken in describing the colesule as truly 

 lateral j in mature specimens it appears lateral, but originally the ' torus pistillorum ' 

 springs from the axil of an amphigastrium. Indeed, it is a curious fact that true 

 axillary involucra, as in pleurocarpous mosses, are never met with in the Hepaticse 

 (Lindb. Lin. Soc. Journ. v. xiii. p. 195).) " The involucral leaves are normally two, 

 with an interposed stipule, and the uppermost leaf is concrete with the perianth for 

 one-third of its length. The perianth is very thick below (=3-4 cellules), and should 

 perhaps be rather regarded in this part as a hollowing out of the apex of the stem. 

 The calyptfra is concrete with the inner surface of the perianth for more than half its 

 length, as correctly represented in Hooker's figure, but not alluded to in ' Synopsis 

 Hepaticarum.' All these characters bring this species v«ry close to Hairpamihus Floto- 

 viaMus,]^. ab E. (Syn. Hep. p. 170), the sole tangible difierence being that in the former 

 the perianth is obovate, and in the latter fusiform, while they separate it widely from 

 Jung, acuta, and J. Bantriensis." " The leaves of H. Flotovia/nus are bi-dentate in 

 the same manner, only with a shallower sinus j the stipules are proportionally narrower, 

 but equally acuminate, falcate and slightly twisted, and toothed on one side at the base, 

 just as in the other." 



Pleuranthe, Taylor, Lond. Journ. of Bot. 1846, p. 282, from the diagnosis, evidently 

 difiers in no material respect from Harpanthus ; — 



" Calyx basi radicans, solidus, incurvus, folia tria perichsetialia ferens, e caulis 

 ventre oriens, medio carnosus, teres, cylindricus, apice membranaceus, conicus, sub- 

 compressus, ore subplicato, bi-tri-lacero-laciniato. Calyptra calycis fauci insidens. 

 Elateres bispiri." Capsula subquadrivalvis. 



Only one species is described, P. olivacea, Tayl. " Fructus junior " (he contiaues) 

 "primum in stipulse axilla apparet, minutus, globularis, albidus," — which accords 

 exactly with the young receptacle of //. sautatus. 



In strict sequence, the remaining species, with more or less immersed fructification, 

 should be inserted here j e. g., Kantia, Aneura, &c. But my object has been to depart 

 as little as possible from the classification adopted by N. ab E. ; and, as will be seen, 

 any modifications in the nomenclature, which I have felt bound to adopt, have been 

 made in accordance with the laws of priority — laws which it should be the interest of 

 all scientific men to maintain. 



