BRITISH HEPATIC^. 19 



Spores brown, xiho" '> elaters bi-spiral, serpentine-flexuose. 



Perigonial leaves terminal, sub-spicate, broadly ovate, more 

 tumid and closely imbricated, so tbat the shoots are julaceous, 

 sinus narrow and lobes connivent. They enclose generally a soli- 

 tary spherical shortly stipitate antheridium. 



Obs. — Na/rdia Funckii varies considerably in the length, of the shoots, and the 

 imbrication of the leaves, whether distant and patent, or more erect and appressed. 

 But the differences depend for the most part upon age and habitat : luxurious speci- 

 mens producing copious innovations, and assuming a more irregular and straggling 

 appearance, the noi'mal habit being densely and uniformly csespitose. 



In the male plant the shoots are terete or catenulate, and the leaves imbricated 

 even ivhen moist, whilst the fertile tufts have a very different aspect, the remarkably 

 developed involucra contrasting with the ordinary slender shoots. 



The var. diffusa bears a striking resemblance to small forms of Jung, minuta, 

 Crantz ; so that in the absence of fructification it is difficult to describe the difference 

 between them. On careful examination, old involucres may however generally be found» 

 either at the apex of the shoots, or at points of annual growth, innovations frequently 

 arising not only from one or both sides of the involucral bracts, but from the centre of 

 the involucre itself, when they seem to be a continuation of the old axis. From this 

 peculiarity of growth shoots are met with bearing three or four involucra, only one 

 appearing terminal ; whUst a second appears lateral, a shoot having been formed on 

 one side only ; and a third axillary between two innovations. 



Jung, minuta is less stoloniferous, the shoots are of the same width throughout 

 and the leaves equidistant, patent, divergent, and the lobes unequal. The colour too 

 is a glossy golden-brown, and the plant altogether larger. 



N. FuTichii is rarely met witTi in fruit, a circumstance not unusual with dioicous 

 species. Eecently, through the kindness of Mr. Sim, I have received a fine tuft from 

 Lochnagar, of the var. rohustior, containing both male and fertile shoots. Stems from 

 i" to i" long by-Jo" broad. Rootlets confined to the base of the stems, of a reddish 

 colour. Male shoots naked below, compressed, sub-spicate, the perigonial leaves occu- 

 pying the upper portion, more erect, closely imbricated, and gibbous at the base. 



Fertile shoots somewhat stouter, but both the involucral bracts and involucre 

 relatively much smaller than usual. Involucre roundish-ovate, after the emission of 

 the capsule (which it is only just large enough to contain), wider and truncate at the 

 apex. It consists of two broad leaves, connate only at the lower third, obtusely emar- 

 ginate, the lobes short and obtuse ; texture compact as in the cauline leaves. Golesule 

 free except at the base, funnel-shaped, the apex contracted, and nearly entire, at length 

 irregularly ruptured by the ascending capsule. The texture thin and membranous, 

 areolse large, rhomboidal. The apex of the stem also was less thickened and hollowed 

 than usual ; in this respect, and the more free colesule, affording a connecting link 

 between Nardia and Jungermannia. 



Sa/rcoscyphus Funckii,. a major, N. ab E., must not be confounded with our 

 3 rdbustior ; the former, according to Dr. Lindberg, is identical with JSfardia sparsi- 

 folia, in which the inflorescence is paroicous. 



Pl. II. Fig. 6. — Na/rdia FwnaUi. 1. Natural size. 2. Fertile stem with invo- 

 lucre. 3. Shoot of larger vaAety X 16. 4 Stem-Uaf. 



