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PRELIMINARY LIST OF COLORADO HEPATICAE 
Alexander W. Evans 
The published records on the Hepaticae of Colorado are exceedingly scanty. 
In 1874 Austin 1 listed fifteen species which had been collected in 1873 by Pro- 
fessor John Wolf, under the auspices of the Wheeler Exploring Expedition. In 
1876 Rau 2 3 listed five species which had been collected from 1873 to 1875 by Mr. 
T. S. Brandegee. All subsequent records, with a single exception, are evidently 
based on these two early lists. 
The species listed by Austin are the following: Riccia Frostii , R. Watsoni , 
R. crystallina, R. fluitans var. lata , Marchantia polymorpha, Chiloscyphus poly- 
anthus var. rivularis, Jungermannia bicuspidata, J. incisa, J. Hornschuchiana , 
J. Muelleri, J. cordifolia, J. ventricosa, Scapania compacta, S. undulata, and S. 
uliginosa. Those listed by Rau include Marchantia polymorpha and Scapania 
compacta and, in addition, Reboulia hemisphaerica, Jungermannia pumila , and 
J. trichophylla. 
The first two species of Riccia which Austin listed, R. Frostii and R. Watsoni , 
were manuscript species, but he published them formally the following year.* 
He stated, however, that R. Watsoni might be nothing more than the male plant 
of R. Frostii , and at the present time it is so regarded. Another species listed 
by both Austin and Rau is Scapania compacta. In all probability the records 
'are based on incorrect determinations because this species is not now definitely 
known outside of Europe, except from a single locality in Greenland. The other 
sixteen species listed may doubtless be accepted as correct, although it is unfortu- 
nate that full details are not given about the localities where they were found. 
During the past few years the writer has received several small collections 
of Colorado Hepaticae for determination, and the present paper is based on these 
collections. It increases the number of species known from the state to forty- 
one. It is hoped that the publication of this list may arouse further interest in 
the Hepaticae among the botanists of Colorado, so that in time our knowledge 
of the hepatic flora of this interesting region may be more complete. The sequence 
adopted is that of Schiffner in Engler & Prantl’s Die naturlichen Pflanzenfamilien. 
The dates given show when each species was first collected, so far as this could be 
ascertained. 
1. Riccia Frostii Aust. R. Watsoni Aust. Along the Platte River, near 
Denver, 1865, C. C. Parry; without definite localities, J. Wolf; near Denver, E. 
Bethel 1. 
2. Riccia Lescuriana Aust. Lake Eldora, 1910, E. Bethel. 
1 Hepaticae. In Rothrock, J. T., Preliminary report on the botany of Centra! Colorado 62. 
Washington. 1874. [Geographical and Geological Exploration and Survey, west of the one 
hundredth meridian, George M. Wheeler in charge.] 
2 List of Colorado Musci and Hepaticae, collected by T. S. Brandegee in 1873-75. Bull. Torr- 
ey Club 6: 89, 90. 1876. 
3 Bull. Torrey Club 6: 17. 1875. 
