Order CCLXXXVI. JUNGERMANNIACE^E. 
Hepaticarum, § § Jungermanniacese et Lejeuniacese, Dumort. comment. Botan. 112. 
(1822). — JuNGERMANNiACE.® et Anthocerine^e, Id. Syllog. Jungerm. f>. (1831). — 
Hepaticarum § of most other Authors . — JuNGERMANNiACEi®, Nixus PI. 24. 
(1833). — Nees n. Esenh. Naturgeschichte der Europceischen Lebermoose, vol. 1. 
(1830. 
Essential Character. — Creeping moss-like plants, either with imbricated very cel- 
lular leaves surrounding a central axis, or with the leaves and axis all fused into one com- 
mon leafy expansion. Thecce without an operculum, 4-parted, or 2-4-valved, with or with- 
out a central columella. Spores mixed with elaters. 
Affinities. It seems to me that the §§, as they are usually considered, 
of Hepaticse, in which the theca separates into valves, ought to be considered 
a distinct order from such plants as Marchantia and Riccia. The latter 
approach very nearly to Lichens and Algse ; but the former, that is to say the 
capsular Hepaticse, are little more than a slight deviation from the type of 
Mosses, agreeing with those plants even in the presence of a calyptra, only 
not having the power of carrying it up on the theca. Tlie arrangement of 
the Muscal alliance would then be as stated in my Nixus and Key, viz. 
Bryaceae, or Musci. Theca valveless with an operculum. 
Andraeaceae. Theca opening by valves and having an operculum. 
Jungermanniaceae. Theca opening by valves, without an operculum. 
Marchantiaceae, or Hepaticae. Theca with neither valves nor operculum. 
As, however, this is not the view taken of the subject by those botanists 
who have paid the most attention to Hepaticse, I shall content myself with 
the foregoing observations, and give a view of the genera of Jungerman- 
niacese under the next order, of which they constitute the first, second, and 
third tribes. 
Order CCLXXXVIl. HEPATIC^, 
Liver-wort 
Tribe. 
or 
IlEPATiCiE, Juss. Gen. 1. (1789) ; DC. FI. Fr. 2. 415. (1815) ; Agardh Aph. 104. (1822) ; 
Greville Flora Edin. xv. (1824) ; Fee in Diet. Class. 8. 131. (1825). — Nees ab Esenb. 
in Martins, FI. Bras. 1. 295. (1833) ; Hooker's British Flora, vol. 2.p. 97. (1833) ; 
Bischoff de Hepaticis in Act. Acad. Nat. Cur. xvii. pars 2. (1836) ; Ann. des Sc. 2. 
ser. 4. 309. (1836). 
Essential Character. — Plants growing on the earth or trees in damp places, com- 
posed entirely of cellular tissue, emitting roots from their under-side, and consisting of 
an axis or stem, which is leafless, and bordered by a membranous expansion ; such expan- 
sions sometimes unite at their margins, so as to form a broad lobed thallus. Reproductive 
organs consisting either of a peltate stalked receptacle, bearing thecae on its under surface ; 
or of sessile naked thecae, either immersed or superficial. Besides these there are in Mar- 
ebantia, “ peltate receptacles, plane on the upper surface, and having oblong bodies im- 
bedded in the disk and also “ little open cups, sessile on the upper surface, and con- 
taining minute green bodies (gemmae) which have the same power of producing new plants, 
as sporules and in Anthoceros, “ small cup-shaped receptacles, containing minute, sphe- 
rical, pedunculated, reticulated bodies.” 
Affinities. I stated in the last order that contrary to my own opinion, 
I should here speak of the various forms of Hepaticse as if they really did all 
belong to the same order. 
