30 



MEMOIRS OF THE NEW YOEK BOTANICAL GARDEN 



[VOL. 11 



in a row of two cells; lamina as long as the segments, the margin entire; leaf- 

 cells of the base of a segment 36-90 X 27-30 n, the marginal cells smaller, the 

 walls uniformly thickened, without trigones, the cuticle faintly striate. Under- 

 leaves like the leaves. Plants dioieous. Male inflorescence terminal on the stem 

 or branch, soon becoming intercalary, the stem showing a series of shorter bracts 

 and bracteoles separated by series of normal leaves and underleaves, the bracts 

 and bracteoles similar, slightly smaller than the leaves, in four to ten series, 

 mostly trifid, deeply pouched ; antheridia large, spherical, pale, in the axils of 

 both bracts and bracteoles, the wall cells hexagonal in outline, the stalk six or 

 more cells long. Female inflorescence terminal on a stem or branch, usually with 

 one or two innovations of the Frullania type, the bracts and bracteoles in three 

 series, like the leaves ; archegonia six to ten, cylindric, the necks broad. Perianth 

 absent. Sporophyte enclosed in a coelocaule ; coelocaule long, club-shaped, several 

 layers of cells thick, the surface without paraphyllia, bearing the three series of 

 bracts and bracteoles in three rows ; unfertilized archegonia at and near the tip. 

 Vegetative reproduction through globose or cylindric masses of cells (proton- 

 emata) produced at the tips of the rhizoids. Sporophytes not seen. Fig. 1, a-p. 



Habitat : Sand and glacial detritus in wet places. 



PATAGONIA— TIEEE A DEL FUEGO: "In valle fluminis Aysen in rupibus" Dusen 275 

 [1897] (type UPS; isotype S PA); same locality, Dusen 275 ex parte, type of Blepharostoma 

 dusenii (G-1790), another packet (?), without number (G-1791) ; Isla Huafo, Cal. Samuel, 

 Halle, type of Lepicolea dbnormis (G) ; estuary of the Ventisquera River, Slcottsberg 606 with 

 Lepicolea [Pseudolepicolea] georgica (G). 



lepicoleaceae Schuster, Revue Bryol. Lichenol. 26: 126. 1957. 



Caules recti, radiales, pinnati, ramis apicalibus (Frullaniae typus) atque 

 in axillis foliorum; folia incuba, bisbifida (vel trifida, bifida); amphigastria 

 similia. Inflorescentiae masculae apicales vel in cauli intercalares, antheridiis 

 in axillis bractearum; inflorescentia feminea apicalis in cauli, 1 vel 2 innova- 

 tionibus instructa, archegoniis e paucis ad plures quam 50. Coelocaulis car- 

 nosus, elavatus, squamosus, et paraphylliis instructus. Capsulae paries quin- 

 queseriatus. 



Plants tending to be radially symmetric, pigmented with brown; branches 

 terminal in origin (Frullania-type) or rarely axillary in the leaves, of limited 

 growth. Line of leaf insertion transverse, or oblique with the leaves incubous. 

 Leaves bisbifid (rarely some trifid or bifid on a stem). Underleaves similar to 

 the leaves, scarcely smaller. Male inflorescence terminal, becoming intercalary 

 on a lateral branch ; antheridia in the axils of the bracts. Female inflorescence 

 terminal on the stem, with one or more subfloral innovations, the bracts and 

 bracteoles in several series, similar to the leaves and underleaves; archegonia 

 from few to 50 or more. Shoot/sporophyte relationship a fleshy, club-shaped 

 coelocaule, covered with scales and paraphyllia, with unfertilized archegonia 

 at the tip. Sporophyte seta in transverse section of many cells, the outer layer 

 of 32 large cells, the inner cells slightly larger. Capsule wall of five layers of 

 cells with characteristic wall thickenings; elaters long, slender, uni- or bispiral 

 but with solid tapering ends. Sporeling protonema globose. 



Type genus : Lepicolea Dumortier. 



