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FRULLANIA. 



Wm. C. Barbour. 



Of the twenty or more Frullanias which are reported from North Amer- 

 ica, about ten are to be found in the eastern or north-eastern part of the 

 United States. Six more are known from the Southern States, and six others 

 from the Pacific coast from Cahfornia to Alaska. The genus is well repre- 

 sented in both temperate and tropical regions, and furnishes some of the 

 most beautiful objects for the microscope known to botanical science. The 

 majority of species are of various shades of brown or even black, to the 

 eye, and show varied and beautiful browns and reds when viewed by trans- 

 mitted light. Again, some species are brown in some situations and green 

 in others, so that color cannot be taken as a very reliable guide to the 

 ^ species. There is only one genus (Jubula) which at all resembles it. 



From this it is distinguished in that in Jubula the branches are lateral 

 and have a leaf borne partly upon the stem and partly upon a branch, while 

 in FruUania the branches are intra-axillary and the leaves are free. The 

 best characters for distinguishing the species are drawn from the perianth 

 and the surrounding bracts, but an effort has been made to form a key based 

 upon other structures as far as possible. Most of it has been adopted from the 

 splendid monograph on Frullania by Dr. A. W. Evans, of Yale University. 

 The student should have this monograph at hand for reference in the study 

 of the genus. 



The leaves in Frullania are incubous, complicate-bilobed, with an in- 

 flated, long or roundish lower lobe (called lobule in distinction from the 

 upper lobe,) The underleaves are round or oval in shape, strongly bifid 

 in most species, otherwise entire or unidentate at the side. Rootlets are 

 borne upon the underleaves. Species are monoicous or dioicous. Perianth 

 3-4 angled, mucronate. Elaters unispiral. Antheridia on a short branch. 



KEY TO SPECIES. 



1. Lobule as long as broad 2. 



Lobule longer than broad 8. 



2. Underleaves not cordate at base : 3. 



Underleaves plainly cordate at base F. plana. 



3. Lobule more than half the size of lobe F. Oakesiana. 



Lobule less than half the size of lobe 4. 



4. Leaves strongly squarrose when moist F. squarrosa. 



Leaves little or not at all squarrose when moist 5. 



5. Lobule usually explanate F. riparia. 



Lobule inflated 6.. 



6. Lobule inflated in upper part, compressed in lower, under- 



leaves dentate or crenate F. Brittoni^. 



Lobule inflated throughout, underleaves entire 7. 



7. Perianth with roughened ridges, usually southern F. Virginica. 



Perianth smooth, usually northern., ..F. Eboracensis. 



8. Plants small, to >^ or ^ inch long , F. Selwyniana. 



Plants large, to i or inches g* 



9. Underleaves bifid but i/^ their length F. Tamarisci.. 



Underleaves bifid K to >^ their length F. Asagrayanal 



