62 



MEMOIRS OF THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN 



[VOL. n 



CHAETOCOLEACEAE Fulford 



Caules fulvi, irregulariter ramosi, ramis intercalaribus in amphigastriarum 

 axillis ; folia succuba, quadrifida. Amphigastria quadrifida, minora ; inflorescen- 

 tia masculina apicalis vel in cauli intercalaris ; antheridia in axillis bractearum ; 

 infloreseentia feminea apicalis in cauli cum innovationibus, bracteis bracteolisque 

 ciliatis. Perianthium (?) pluriseriatum, urceolatum, ciliis superficialibus in- 

 structum, ore ciliato. Sporophyta non visa. 



Plants brownish-green to brown, irregularly branched; branches ventral-in- 

 tercalary, in the axils of the underleaves, rarely lateral [Spruce]. Line of leaf 

 insertion oblique, the leaves succubous. Leaves quadrifid to the middle (some 

 trifid). Underleaves smaller, quadrifid (trifid). Male inflorescence terminal 

 but becoming intercalary on the stem; antheridia in the axils of the bracts. 

 Female inflorescence terminal on the stem, with subfloral innovations, the bracts 

 and bracteoles in several series, the structure surrounding the archegonia urn- 

 shaped, several layers thick, the surface ciliate, the mouth broad, lonsr-ciliate. 

 [Spruce, 1885.] 



Type genus: Chaetocolea Spruce. 



Until more material of the mature female inflorescence is available for study, 

 the interpretation of the structure which surrounds the archegonia and young 

 sporophyte is open to question. The relationship of this taxon to other taxa is 

 dependent in a large part on the kind of shoot/sporophyte relationship and 

 surrounding structures. Since the details of the structures is not known, this 

 taxon has been set apart as a separate family. The immature structures that 

 Spruce has figured indicate that it is distinct. 



Chaetocolea Spruce, Trans. Proc. Bot. Soc. Edinb. 15: 346. 1885. 



The genus is monotypic and the description of the species fully covers the 

 genus. 



Type species : Chaetocolea palmata Spruce, 1885. 



1. Chaetocolea palmata Spruce, Trans. Proc. Bot. Soc. Edinb. 15: 346. pi. 12. 

 1885. 



Plants small, reddish-brown to dark brown, ascendent, in tufts or mats; 

 stems slender to filiform, to 5 cm long, with leaves 0.4 mm or more wide, spar- 

 ingly branched ; branches ventral-intercalary, in the axils of the underleaves 

 [sometimes lateral-Spruce] , leafy ; stems in transverse section six to nine cells in 

 diameter, the cells more or less alike. Rhizoids colorless, from the lower part of the 

 underleaves. Line of leaf insertion oblique, the leaves succubous. Leaves distant, to 

 approximate on robust stems, more or less concave, cuneate, 0.8-0.9 mm long, 0.4 

 mm wide, the margins entire, quadrifid (sometimes three- to five-parted) to the 

 middle ; segments subulate to narrowly triangular, two to six cells broad at the 

 base, tapering to the uniseriate tip of four to six cells ; cells of the lamina large, 

 24-36 X 20-24 ft, thin-walled, the trigones conspicuous, cells of the segments 

 36^£0 /i , the cuticle striolate. Underleaves smaller, of similar form. Male in- 

 florescence terminal on the stem, becoming intercalary, the bracts and bracte- 

 oles in four to six pairs, the bracts similar to the leaves, the lamina larger con- 

 cave, the segments unchanged, the bracteoles like the underleaves ; antheridia soli- 

 tary, in the axils of the bracts. Female inflorescence terminal on the stem 

 [after Spruce; with one innovation, the bracts and bracteoles in several series, 



