BRITISH HEPATIC^. 21 



^y TiVo"- Trigones small but distinct. The contents consist of 

 minute granules, and I have not observed the chlorophyll or amy- 

 laceous bodies in that species. 



Inflorescence paroicous, the antheridia occupying the same peri- 

 chsetium as the pistillidia, but arising from the axil of the lower 

 bract, so that the two are not intermingled, as in synoicous 

 species. 



Fertile shoots much thickened, clavate. Involucral leaves about 

 half the length of the involucre, erecto-patent, broadly-ovate, the 

 lobes rather obtuse, connivent. Involucre equal to the rest of the 

 stem (about half a line) in length, urceolate-ovate, consisting of 

 two leaves resembling the involucral ones, erect, and connate at 

 the lower third, or sometimes higher. The lobes are acute, and 

 somewhat inflexed, and the texture thinner than in the ordinary 

 leaves, and composed of larger rhomboidal or oblong cells. 



Colesule not more than half the length of the involucre, and 

 entirely concealed by it, campanulate, adnate at the base with the 

 outer walls, apex free, conical, at first contracted and simply cre- 

 nate at the mouth, after the egress of the capsule irregularly lobed. 

 Mr. Spruce, who first pointed out the true affinities of this species, 

 states that he always finds " a true perianth present, the origin of 

 which is derived from the union of two leaves quite concealed by 

 the perichsetial leaves, with which it is concrete for nearly half its 

 length : it is pale, and of very delicate texture (cellules three times 

 larger than those of the perichsetium), erose and inflexed at the 

 summit, and sometimes two-lipped." 



Calyptra large, obovate, hyaline (fig. 6, 7), bearing at its junc- 

 tion with the axial portion 6-8 abortive pistillidia. 



Capsule (fig. 6, 7) minute, rather longer than broad, cinnamon- 

 brown, seated on a pedicel one or two lines in length. 



Spores rufous, punctate, ttVo" '> elaters bispiral, long, flexuose. 



Antheridia solitary or in pairs, olive-green, oval, shortly stipitate, 

 arising from the ventricose axillse of the second and succeeding 

 leaves, beneath the terminal one which invests the pistillidia. 



In a recent letter (Nov. 24, 1873) Prof. Lindberg states that N. adusta must be 

 classed as a variety of his N. spa/rsifolia {Muse. Nov. Sccmd., 1868), "differing abun- 

 dantly from N. FuncJdi in having few larger accrescent leaves, with cellules thrice the 

 size and paroicous inflorescence." I agree with him as to the distinction between 

 the two, but I cannot see why the original name of N. ab E. should be superseded by 

 a more recent one, even if the colour of the larger form (jV. spa/rsifoKa) is sometimes of 

 too light a green to be described as adimtv^. The original specimen from Kongsburg, 

 Norway, P. T. Gleve, June 1864, is quite as dark-coloured as our JV. aditsta. I append 

 the diagnosis from Notiser pro Fanma et Flora Fennim, is. 1868, so that the reader may- 

 compare the two : — 



" Sarcoscyphus span-sifolius, Lind. — Paroicous, rather robust, few-leaved, cortical 

 stratum of the stem simple, leaves acutely incised, lobes rather acute, margin erect, 



