238 Mas see. — A Monograph of the Geoglosseae. 
founding, is far from being stable, and its one species may 
possibly prove to belong to the older genus Mitrula. Again, 
it is somewhat doubtful as to whether the genus Hemiglossum 
belongs to the present family ; its only species suggests affinity 
with Midotis , but as I have had no opportunity of verifying 
this or otherwise, I accept the affinity indicated by its founder, 
Patouillard. Of the remaining six genera, with a total of 
fifty-eight species, five genera have their head-quarters in 
Europe, and include forty species. The extra-European 
genus Neolecta , including one species, is confined to Brazil. 
The distribution of species throughout the world is shown 
in the following table: — 
N. Hemisphere . . . . .55 species. 
S * 9 1. 
Old World 47 „ 
New World 23 „ 
Endemic species are distributed as follows: — 
Europe 27 species. 
Greenland and Kamtschatka . . . 3 „ 
China 3 „ 
Cape of Good Hope . . . . 1 ,, 
United States 8 ,, 
Brazil ....... 2 ,, 
Patagonia ...... 1 ,, 
The distribution of the genera and species are given in 
detail in the systematic section. 
Fam. GEOGLOSSEAE. 
Ascophore stipitate, erect, ascigerous portion terminal, 
clavate, spathulate, or pileate ; asci elongated, narrowly 
clavate, 8-spored, dehiscing by an apical pore ; spores 
coloured or hyaline, septate or continuous ; paraphyses present. 
Geoglosseae, Sacc., Syll. VIII (as a subfamily of Hel- 
velleae). 
Most closely allied to the Bulgarieae, agreeing in the more 
