231 
NOTES ON HEPATICS. 
Reference to Report for 1901 p. 95. 
Sccipama purpurascens (Hook.) Tayl. In the above Report I gave 
some distinctions between this plant and S. undulata, but since 
then I have come to the conclusion that the two are not specifically 
distinct. This is also the view given by Herr. C. Muller in his 
recent splendid monograph of the genus. There are many inter¬ 
mediate forms which could as well be placed under the one name 
as under the other. Muller names the intermediate forms as var. 
cimbigua (De Notaris), but they are so numerous and variable in 
the British Isles, that I do not think that they can be classed with 
11s under a varietal name. He retains both S. purpurascens and 
S. undulata as species in his monograph, so I have followed him 
in the meantime. He employs the name in general use on the 
Continent, S. dentata Dunn, for S. purpurascens, but I cannot see 
why the priority of Hooker’s name should be displaced. Muller 
also expresses doubts of the specific distinction of S. intermedia 
(Husnot) from S. purpurascens. With this I agree, and it is the 
view expressed to me a few years ago by Mr. M. B. Slater. 
Frullania germana Tayl. The description in our text books of 
the differences between this species and F. Tamarisci are mislead¬ 
ing and require alteration. To give the involucral bracts of the 
former as entire and of the latter as toothed is incorrect. The 
postical lobes of the innermost bracts of F. germana are toothed 
and ciliate in common with those of F. Tamarisci. The amount 
varies in both species. In the former there is very commonly 
a large tooth ending in two long cilia, and at the base there are 
1-4 cilia in addition. Gottsche mentions the presence of teeth in 
this species in his Notes to No. 475 of G. & R. Hep. Eur. exs. 
The tooth varies in F. Tamarisci, and there is a cluster of cilia at 
the base of the lobe. The antical lobe of germana is nearly always 
entire, but one or two blunt teeth are occasionally to be found 
towards the apex. In Tamarisci this lobe is not rarely very nearly 
entire. The innermost bracteole gives the best distinction between 
the two plants. In Tamarisci the lobes are variously toothed and 
laciniate-ciliate, and there is a cluster of cilia at the base of the 
bracteole on each side. In germana the lobes are almost invari¬ 
ably entire, and the cilia at the base are only 1-2 in number and 
are sometimes confined to one side. As far as our Tamarisci is 
concerned, though it does not appear to be the case on the 
Continent, the line of enlarged cells in the antical lobe of at least 
some of the leaves is, according to my experience, an invariable 
distinction between this species and germana. In the numerous 
specimens of Tamarisci which I have examined, I have never seen 
a plant in which I could not detect some leaves with the enlarged 
line of cells present. 
SYMERS M. MACV 1 CAR. 
