f J. bicuspidata .) 
BRITISH J UNGERM ANNIiE. 
Plant growing in large tufts, loosely attached to the soil by means of the fibrous roots, 
which proceed from every part of the surculi, but especially towards their base. 
Surculi filiform, flexuose, an inch or an inch and a half long, divided in a somewhat 
stellated manner, so that the branches for the most part unite in the centre of the 
plant ; they, however, occasionally throw out other short, scattered, patent ramuli : 
all are of a pale green color and semipellucid, the substance delicate, succulent and 
composed of large oblong cellules. 
J, eaves ( f. 3 ) rather distantly placed, patent, or sometimes erect, scarcely a quarter 
of a line in length, oblongo-quadrate, divided for rather more than one third of the 
way from the extremity, by an acute sinus, into two lanceolate acute and equal 
segments, which are now and then a little incurved, and I have in a few instances 
observed them to be recurved : the color exactly resembles that of the stem, a pale 
pellucid green ; the cellules are more approaching to round, forming a large and 
elegant reticulation, their surface is slightly convex. 
The perichatial leaves (f. f. 4. 4) are numerous, and surround the base of the calyx, 
growing closely imbricated. The interior are the largest, and generally divided into 
two acute segments ; the exterior are frequently trifid, and have their points not 
uncommonly recurved : they are of a pale whitish-green color. 
Male Fructification at present unknown. 
Female Fructification arising from the base of the surculi, where the radicles are the most 
numerous. 
Calyx (f. 5) situated upon a short proper footstalk, which is covered by the perichsetial 
leaves, a line or a line and a half long, oblong, scarcely at all inclining to ovate, 
nearly white, scariose, longitudinally plicate ; the mouth irregularly dentated : it is 
elegantly reticulated, and has ovate areolae. These calyces remain long after the 
decay of the capsule and footstalk, and then become tinged with brown. 
Calyptra ovate, a thin, delicate, whitish, reticulated membrane, tipped with a short 
style, having at the base numerous lineari-lanceolate, barren pistilla (f. 7 ), which 
I have seen accompanied by what appears to be an abortive germen (f. 6 ), ovate, 
with a contracted base and an acuminated point, throughout of an olive-brown color. 
Peduncle three quarters of an inch in length, or sometimes more, white, cellulose, 
terminated by the 
Capsule (f. 8 ) which is oblongo-ovate, deep brown, longitudinally and transversely 
furrowed.— Shortly after the peduncle has reached its greatest height the four valves 
of the capsule separate, and the numerous roundish 
Seeds are discharged, together with many of the double spiral filaments (f. 9 ) : some 
of these, indeed, remain attached to the margin of the lanceolate valves in a 
pectinated form, pointing, however, obliquely and forming an acute angle with the 
valve (v. f. 2 ) : thus they continue till the margins of the valves become involute, 
v Inch soon takes place, if the atmosphere is dry. Both seeds and spiral filaments are of 
a reddish-brown or chocolate color. In the winter season (or in the autumn, more 
frequently, according to Schmidel), the ends of the surculi of many of the sterile 
plants become erect, having leaves very distantly placed, especially towards the 
