52 BEITISjI HEPATICiE. 



with the noblest representatives of the order. Nor do I envy the man who can pass 

 without admiration our own familiar wood species, P. asplenioides. 



The compressed colesule in some of the Liverworts appears at an early period to 

 have attracted attention. Thus we find Necker, Elementa Botan. iii. p. 337 (1790), 

 introduce a section, Dincklericf,, " Colesula compressa, angulata,' ex apice lateribusque 

 surculorum prodiente, foliis distichis exappendiculatis," which defines very fairly the 

 present group, but under which are arranged species of Eadula, Cephalozia, &c. 



Hooker, although declining to divide the Jungermannise, in the synopsis to his 

 great work indicates the natural affinities of the species, and limits the principal 

 genera. 



Following him, Baddi (Jung. Et/rusca, 1820.), arranges under Candollea — 1. the 

 Jung, asplenioidese ; 2. J. nemorosese ; and 3. J. complanata. De Candolle's name 

 had, however, been already appropriated by 4 or 5 botanical writers. 



In Gray^s Nat. Arr. (1821) we find the same species included under Martinellia, 

 but in reversed order, as in the succeeding work. 



The year following, ignorant of the labours of his contemporaries, Dvmiortier 

 (Comment. Bot. p. 112) published his first classification, grouping viaAex Radvla, — 

 1. J. complanata ; 2. Jung, nemorosse ; and 3. J. asplenioidese. In the SyUoge Jung. 

 (1831) he makes Radula a sub-tribe with sections 1. Eaduloti/'pus, 2. Scapania, 

 3. Plagiochila. Later (Revision des Genres, 1835) we find the three genera — Radula, 

 Scapania, and Plagiochila perfected. This arrangement has been adopted by all later 

 writers. 



Whether, therefore, upon the question of priority only, Martiuellia, G. & B., should 

 be substituted for one of Dumortier's names, becomes a nice question. And if so, which 

 segregate should it replace ? Because Martinellia cannot be considered the equivalent 

 of any one of them, although includiag the whole. If admitted, it should surely super- 

 sede Radula, because J. complanata is first described. Prof. Lindberg appears to have 

 felt this difficulty, but I fail to understand the grounds for his having first substituted 

 it for Plagiochila, and more recently for Scapania ! Under the circumstances, I think 

 it wiser to let well alone. 



a. Shoots leafy throughout. 



1. Pla&iochIla interrupta, Dumort. 



Pl. III. Fig. 11. 



Stems viticulose, horizontally ramose, depressed, leafy through- 

 out; leaves distichous, closely imbricated, nearly plane, elliptic- 

 ovate to subquadrate ; apex obtuse, truncate, or emarginate, 

 margin entire; involucral bracts larger, ovate-oblong, erect, 

 margins recurved, xindulate ; colesule obovate compressed, mouth 

 bilabiate, irregularly crenate-denticulate ; capsule oval. 



Jungermannia interrupta, N. ab E. Eur. Leberm. i. p. 165 (1833) ; De Notaris, 

 Prim. Hep. Ital. p. 39. 



J. Bumortieri, Lib. PI. Cryp. Ard. iv. n. 311 (1837). 



J. vagans, Wils. Mss. 



Plagiochila interrupta, Dumort. Eev. Jung. p. 15 (1835) ; Lindenb. Spec. Hep. 



