BKITISH HEPATIC^. 55 



■were long and arcuate, rooting only at the apex and base, and not so densely radiculose 

 as usual, probably from growing among mosses, &c. 



They are described as " serpentine flexuose, purplish, incurved at the apex ; leaves 

 rotund-quadrate, spreading in the lower half of the stem, connivent above ; variously 

 and unequally lobed, bi-dentate, the sinus obtuse, segments short, acute, sometimes 

 3 to 4-toothed, and sometimes entire or bluntly emarginate." 



Subsequently I collected the same form in Wharfdale, growing along with the, 

 ordinary state of F. mterrupta, and satisfied myself of the identity of the two. Indeed, 

 specimens may be found in which the leaves of some shoots are entire or simply 

 emarginate, and in others 2 to 3-dentate. 



I am sorry therefore to dissent from my friend Prof. Lindberg, who proposes to 

 replace the characteristic name of Nees ab E., and constitute P. Pyrenaica the typical 

 form. Because, though it is true Spruce's original specimens are larger and better 

 developed than British ones of P. mterrupta, we observe no such difierence in native 

 plants, and the toothing of the leaves is exceedingly sportive, even on the same stem. 



Dr. Spruce appears not to have had much faith in its specific claims, since he 

 states {Hep. Pyr. p. 200) : " Although I have lately had Dr. Gottsche's sanction for 

 retaining Plagiochila Pyrenaica, I think it not improbable that it may one day be 

 proved a variety of P. interrupta, a striking one certainly, and perhaps confined to the 

 Pvreijees. The Plagiochilse are so liable to variation in the toothing of the leaves, that 

 it is scarcely possible to suppose a,ll the generally-received species genuine." 



Care must be taken not to confound P. interrupta with Chiloscyphus polyanthos, 

 which sometimes grows intermingled with it in the Wharfe valley, although generally 

 preferring a moister habitat. 



The leaves of the latter are of a very pale green colour, entire or simply truncate, 

 and the texture thinner, larger celled, and translucent. When cJ or ? fructification ia 

 present there can be no difficulty in separating them. 



Pt. III. Fig. 11. — 1. Plag. interrupta natural size. 2. Fertile, male, and sterile 

 slmots X 16. 3, 4. Stem-leq,ves. 5. Leaf showing the cell-structure. 6. Colesule. 7. 

 Perigonialleaf. 8. Antheridium. 9, Portion of shoot of va/r, fi. 



8. Primary shoots rhizomatous, leafless. 



2. PliAGIOCHIIiA ASPLENIOIDES, Dmnovt. 

 Pl. IV. Fig. 12. 



Shoots ascending, dichotomously branched, creeping and ra- 

 diculose at the base ; leaves obliquely patent, approximate, decurved, 

 obovate-rotiind, entire or denticulate, dorsal margin decurreat, 

 reflexed ; colesule much longer than the involucral bracts, obconic- 

 oblong, compressed; apex recurved, trunpate, dentato-ciliate ; 

 capsule ovate. 



Jvmge/rmamiia asplenioides, L. Sp. PI. p. 1597 (1753) j Hedw. Theor. Gen. t. 16 

 et 17 (1784) ; Flor. Dan. t. 1061 ; 'Eng. Bot. I ed. t. 1788 ; Hook. Jung. t. 13 ; Mnso. 

 Brit 2 ed. p. 227 ; N. ab E. Leber. Eur. i. p. 161 ; Mart. Fl. Elang. p. 177, t. 6, f. 51 ; 

 Huben, Hep. Germ. p. Ill, n. 36 ; Hook. Brit. Fl. v. i. p. 107 ; Fl. Hibern. ii. p. 57. 



