( J. reptans.J 
BRITISH JUNGERMANNIiE. 
Plants covering the soil in dense tufts, or, as frequently happens, growing more loose and 
straggling among mosses and other Jungermannia;. 
Roots most numerous at the base of the plant, but also proceeding here and there from 
beneath the stipules on the under side of the shoots, in small tufts, composed of whitish, 
simple, pellucid fibres. 
Stems creeping, horizontal, from half an inch to an inch and a half long, flexuose, filiform, of 
a greenish, or, in older specimens, of a yellowish color ; cellulose, irregularly branched, 
growing in a soit of stellated manner, as in J. bicuspidata, J. byssacea, &c.; the 
branches beset with patent or horizontal simple pinnae : sometimes the extremities of 
the shoots are of the same width as the rest, and obtuse j at other times, they are 
attenuated to a considerable length. From the under side of the stems, at uncertain 
distances, descend flagella, resembling, in a great measure, those of J. trilobata , and, 
like them, covered with foliaceous scales. 
Leaves imbricated on the upper surface of the stems and branches, closely so for the most 
part; but, on the innovations and attenuated extremities of the branches, distant and 
very small: the rest are larger; all of them patent or horizontal, yet pointing a little in 
the direction of the end of the branch, of a nearly quadrate figure, convex, and having 
the apices incurved, and divided into four, or sometimes three, and occasionally five, 
acute teeth. Their color is a pale green, their reticulation small, the areola: distantly 
placed, in lines, and at tolerably equal distances, as in J. Turneri. 
Perigonial leaves generally at the extremity of an " innovatio caulis ,” more convex than 
the rest, and more closely imbricated (f. f. 2. 3). 
Perichatial leaves, six or eight at the base of each calyx ; the exterior ones the smallest, 
all of them ovate, convex, and, at the apex, cut into three or four small teeth : the 
texture of these is somewhat membranaceous; the color nearly white (f. f. 9. 10). 
Stipules about twice the width of the stem (f. 7), of a somewhat quadrate figure, very 
convex, deeply cut into four acute segments. In texture they resemble the leaves. 
Male Fructification situated in the axillae of the perigonial leaves, one or two in each, spherical, 
reticulated; filament short, white, slender. 
Female Fructification terminal on short proper footstalks, which originate at the base of the 
branches, and from their under side. 
Calyx submembranaceous, nearly white, oblong, approaching to ovate, cylindrical at the 
base, at the apex somewhat plicate, the mouth crenato-dentate. 
Calyptra obovate, whitish, reticulated, tipped with a short style. 
Peduncle about three-fourths of an inch long, white, rather flexuose, pellucid, cellulose. 
Capsule oblongo-ovate, deep brown, splitting into four equal, lanceolate valves; 
Seeds and spiral filaments fulvous brown; the former spherical, the latter composed of a 
double helix. 
fne var. /3 differs in being more regularly pinnate, and of a much larger size : but the leaves, 
trough more closely imbricated, agree, as well as the stipules, in every essential particular with 
those of a. 
