V. HEPATICZE. 
499 
of his New Zealand species ever being recognized. Whilst feeling it my duty to make these 
facts clearly known, I must add, that those who study this extensive Order of plants by the 
aid of modern works, can have no conception of the difficulties which Dr. Taylor had to over- 
come, tweuty-two years ago, in classifying and naming the 300 or 400 Hepatic ce with which 
I supplied him, and of which not fifty had been published ; imperfect and hasty as his 
work was, it showed great skill, no little sagacity, and indomitable perseverance as a micro- 
scopic investigator. 
In the present work I have followed in Mr. Mitten’s footsteps, he having drawn up all the 
descriptions for the 1 Flora Novse-Zelaudise,’ with great care ; and to him, too, I am indebted 
for naming the species of this Order received since the publication of that work ; he has also 
detected many of Dr. Taylor’s errors, and rediscovered, in later collections, many of his lost 
species. 
It only remains to append the same caution to the student of this as of every other Order 
of Cryptogams, viz. that his advance must be slow to be sure, and that it will take some 
months’ careful collecting and study with the microscope to arrive at any clear general idea 
of the genera of this difficult Order. The most useful books are Gottsche, Lindenberg, and 
Nees’s ‘Synopsis Hepaticarum,’ Hamburg, 1844 (but not completed till 1847), an 8vo 
volume of 834 pages, without plates, this I have quoted under the abbreviated title Syn. 
Hep. ; and for plates, the ‘ Flora Novse-Zelandise,’ ‘ Flora Antarctica,’ and Hooker’s ‘ Musci 
Exotici,’ 8vo, all contain figures of many species. 
The following sketch of the genera and species is, no doubt, very incomplete, and probably 
also far from satisfactory in various points ; but there really are not materials for a satisfac- 
tory and sufficient examination of a great many of the species, and long descriptions of im- 
perfect or small specimens are sure to mislead. It can be regarded as a mere outline only, 
representing the condition of our knowledge at the present time. I have found it impossible 
to construct satisfactory keys to the species, but the descriptions are so short that these will 
scarcely be missed. 
KEY TO THE GENERA OF THE NEW ZEALAND HEPATICrE. 
I. Foliose. — Plants with distinct leaves and often stipules. Capsule solitary , on an 
erect fruitstallc, 4,-valved. Elaters with 2 spiral fibres. 
A. Peaces succubous. 
* Perianth 0. 
1. Gymnomitrium. Leaves entire or 2-fid. Stipules minute or 0. 
** Perianth of the same substance as the leaves , not produced downwards into a fleshy 
pendent tube. 
f Perianth terminal ( lateral in some Plagiochilse). 
2. Jungermannia. Perianth tubular ; mouth toothed. Stipules 0 or present. 
3. Plagiochila. Perianth compressed at right angles to insertion of the leaves, ob- 
conic, 2-lipped. Stipules 0. 
4. Leioscyphus. Perianth obconic, compressed, 2-lipped. Stipules 2-4-fid. 
5. Lophocolea. Perianth 3-gonous, 3-lobed ; lobes toothed. Stipules 2-4-cleft. 
6. Scapania. Perianth compressed parallel to the insertion of the leaves. Leaves 2- 
lobed. Stipules 0. 
7. Gottschea. Perianth sunk in the tumid top of the stem. Leaves large, complicate, 
fimbriate or crisped. 
+f Perianth lateral , or on extremely short lateral branches. 
8. Chu.oscypiius. Perianth obovate or campanulate, 2-3-lobed. Stipules present. 
9. Psiloclada. Perianth tubular with falcate lacinire. Leaves and stipules 4-cleft. 
10. Adelanthus. Perianth tubular ; mouth conniveut, toothed. Stipules 0. 
*** Perianth or involucre a pendulous fleshy tube. 
11. Gymnanthe. Perianth terminal. 
12. Saccogyna. Perianth lateral. 
