m ir s c i. 79 



Plant, growing in large, loose masses, older parts of a bright, brown- 

 ish-yellow, the newer of a pale greenish color. Main stems pendu- 

 lous, 12-18 inches in length, flexile, pinnately branched. Branches 

 simple, rarely ramulose, 1-3 inches long, somewhat distantly placed 

 at right angles on the stem, flexuous, flaccid, the older ones near the 

 base of the stem occasionally much elongated by a newer and more 

 slender growth, having smaller leaves. Leaves arranged in four or 

 five indistinct spiral rows, loosely imbricating, patent, from an auricu- 

 late, cordate base, oblong-obovate, obtuse, apiculate, very concave, the 

 margins of the upper half widely inflexed ; texture thin, firm, smooth, 

 and translucent; areolation minute, composed of linear, obtuse-ended, 

 thick-walled, and crenate cellules. In each of the basal angles of the 

 leaves, is a deep, orange-colored, thickened disc, composed of numerous 

 subquadrate cellules. 



Plate 19, A. — Meteorium mauiense: plant, of the natural size. 

 Fig. 1. A branch. 2, 3, 4, 5. Leaves. 6, 7, 8. Portions of leaf, 

 showing the reticulation. — Details enlarged. 



5. Meteorium nitidum, Sidliv. (Tab. 20.) 



M. dioicum; caulibus penduUs Jongissimis tenuibas dlstanter ramidosw, 

 ramulis caide crassioribus brevibus cuspidatis scepe binatlm ternatimve 

 fascimlatis ; foliis caulinis laxis subappressis lineaU-lanceolatis longe 

 attenuatis, rameis patentibus confertis oblongo-ellipticis valde cymbili- 

 formi-concavis subito longissime filifovmi-attenuatis mediotenus costatls, 

 cellulis linearibus, alaribus mbquadratis griseis ; perichwtiw lateralis 

 bus ramigenis subsessilibus, capsula immersa cylindraceo-oblonga. 



Meteorium nitidum, Sulliv. in Proceed. Amer. Acad. Art. Sci. Jan. 1855. 



Hab. Vicinity of Rio Janeiro, Brazil ; on trees. 



Dioicous. Plant, pale green, shining, growing in large, loosely- 

 entangled masses. The basal portion (apparently horizontal) of the 

 stem, closely pinnate by simple julaceous branches 6-10 lines long; 

 the remaining portion pendulous, 7-12 inches in length, slender, flex- 

 uous, sparingly divided; the divisions having, at long intervals, short, 

 straight, cuspidate branches, often in fascicles of twos and threes, 



