T H E 
NEW PHYTOLOGIST. 
Vol. IX., Nos. 6 & 7. June & July, 1910. 
[Published August 6th]. 
THE INTER-RELATIONSHIPS OF THE BRYOPHYTA, 
By F. Cavers, D.Sc. 
[Figs. 30—43.] 
Phylogeny of the Marchantiales — Continued. 
I N considering the inter-relationships of the Marchantiales, the 
writer has adopted the view that the group forms an ascending 
series, starting from Riccia and culminating in Marchantia, though 
including some genera which show unmistakeable evidences of 
reduction in the gametophyte or the sporophyte. 
The opposing view, according to which the Marchantiales show 
wholesale reduction, starting from a type like Marchantia , so that 
the genus Riccia represents not a primitive form but the lowest 
member in a descending series of reduction forms, gains considerable 
support from Goebel’s recent study of the remarkable genus 
Monoselenium , l In 1849 there appeared in Griffith’s “ Posthumous 
Papers” ( Notulae ad plantas asiaticas, Part 2) a brief diagnosis of a 
liverwort which has apparently been lost sight of entirely since that 
time, or which has been regarded as a Cyathodimn. Goebel, who 
has re-discovered and thoroughly investigated the plant, shows that 
Monoselenium tenerum undoubtedly belongs to the Marchantiaceae. 
The thallus has no trace whatever of air chambers, but it bears 
small ventral scales and tuberculate as well as smooth-walled 
rhizoids. The antheridia and archegonia are borne on receptacles 
and the plant is monoecious, the male receptacles standing just 
behind the female receptacles. The latter usually terminate the 
1 Goebel, K. Archegoniatenstudien, XIII. Monoselenium tenerum. 
Griffith. Flora, 1910, pp. 43-97. 
