BRITISH JUNGEIlMANNIiE. 
m 
{ J. dilatata. J 
This species, to which Linnaeus seems to have assigned the name of dilatata, either from 
the circumstance of the greater expansion of the leaves towards the extremity of the fertile 
branches, or from the whole plant spreading and extending itself on the trunks of trees, has 
many characters in common with J. Tamarind, and is frequently confounded with it, not only 
by young botanists, but by authors on the subject. It differs, however, in its place of growth, 
which is almost universally upon the stems of trees ; in its more closely imbricated and com- 
pact surculi ; in its smaller size ; and in its vague ramification. The auricles are also larger 
in proportion to the leaf and more orbicular ; the perichsetial leaves are obtuse at the apices, 
never serrated ; and, what will afford a still more certain mark of discrimination than any yet 
mentioned, the stipules never have their margins revolute, but constantly plane. The whole 
plant, also, entirely wants the gloss which generally appears on the surface of J. Tamarisd. 
Micheli, whose figures of J. dilatata and Tamarisd tolerably well express the respective 
habit and ramification of each, has fallen into a strange error in attributing to the former of 
these plants only two pair of leaves (meaning the pair of leaves and their accompanying 
auricles), and he has on that account removed it to a different division from that which 
contains J. Tamarisd, which he rightly enough ascertained to have five different leaves, in a 
series; that is, the two leaves, two auricles, and a stipule. 
Dillenius, Weber, and Weis, have followed the mistake of Micheli ; and, although Schmidel 
has given a most excellent and elaborate description of this species in the place above quoted, 
yet he has done it under the name of tamarisdfolia, supposing it to be the J. Tamarisd of 
Linnaeus, and has remarked that J. dilatata L. “ differt squamft in parte infimit unic&, ut 
Dillenius describit et pingit. ” He proceeds, however, to describe the intricate structure of 
the foliage in the following words : “ Infra in caule foliola alternant laxius, supernh vero 
pressissimh sunt alterna. In superficie postica calix excipitur quatuor, ut videtur, foliolis, 
duobus lateralibus, duobus intermediis, singulis, ut videtur, communithr bifidis, vel saltern 
ex ovato acutis, post haec deorsiim tria semper foliola inter se alternant, nempe duo lateralia, 
unum altero paullo altitis locatum, intermedium tertium; prima paria horum lateralium 
acuminata sunt, intermedia etiam, semper vero bifida; ubi vero ad inferiora caulis et quartum 
circiter par foliorum pervenitur, obtusiora fiunt lateralia, et convolvuntur versus caulem, 
cochleae more, adeo ut orbiculata s. peltata quasi adpareant. Ergo proprifc quinque ordines 
sunt foliorum, ut Michelius etiam vult, nempe antich duo ordines, laterales duo, quorum 
inferiores cochleatim convolvuntur, mediae inferiores semper bifidae.” This author both figures 
and describes the seeds to be of a greenish color. “ Capsula tandem dirimitur, ” he says, “ in 
quatuor lacinias sat latas, et in conspectum venit pulvis granulosus, obscure viridis aut luteolus, 
criniculis minutis inhterens. ” 
For specimens containing the male fructification of J. dilatala I am indebted to the kind- 
ness of Mr. Lyeli, who gathered them in the New Forest, Hants, on the 21st of March, 1812, 
(too late for me to have them figured in the plate,) and directed my attention to the Anther- 
bearing ramuh by the following remark: “ J. dilatata with branches in which the leaves are 
so closely imbricated as to conceal their alternate position, and form a strap with a deep 
furrow down the middle." The alternate position of the leaves, however, is rendered more 
visible in a dry state by their edges turning up a little, and then the similarity of the shoots 
to those of J. concinnata is very striking. These branches, after supporting and giving nourish- 
