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THE CRYPTOGAMOUS PLANTS OF GREAT BRITAIN. 
A Brief Outline wf the Natural Systematic arrangement, given by Sir William Jackson Hooker, 
in his splendid Work on the Cryptogamous Plants of Great Britain; in which it is made evi¬ 
dent, that the clear and comprehensive mind of Linnaeus, so fitted for distribution, definition, 
and denomination, had never been warmly engaged, or its energies properly called forth, to the 
Flowerless Plants, which compose his Class Cryptogamia, otherwise he would not have left 
such scope tarJrnm-ovement to his successors_This Class is divided into 7 Orders, 17 Fami¬ 
lies, 3 Sub-Orders, several Sections, Sub-Sections, and Divisions. 
ORDER I. 
Filices, or the Ferns. 
This Order contains 2ft genera, thrown into one prime, and 
3 sub-orders, from the figure, situation, and arrangement of 
the parts of fructification, and from the natural structure, 
habit, or port of the plants. 
The prime order Filices (or true Ferns) contains 16 genera, 
separated into 2 sections, from the structure of the Capsule, 
its mode of opening, tie presence or absence of an elastic 
ring, and the shape of the sori (or clusters) found on the back 
of the leaf or frond, or on its margin, and sometimes on a 
racemus or spike. Example of the 1st Section, Polypodium; 
of the 2d, Osmunda. 
Sub-Order I. Lycdpodiiecm.—Character, Fructification 
among the leaves, Capsules sessile, with 2 or 3 valves, 
without a ring; contains only one genus, Lycopodium. 
Sub-Order II. Marsilacese.—Character, Fructification, 
situated near the root of the plant in Capsules, inclosed 
by involucres, with a ring; contains 2 genera, Isocites 
and Pilularke. 
Sub-Order III. Eqaisetaceae.—Character, Fructification 
in an amentum or terminal spike, formed of many-sided 
peltate scales, under which are numerous globular Cap¬ 
sules, with 4 club-shaped filaments, covered by from 4 to 
7 Bracteae, opening lengthways: stems jointed, sheathed, 
and leafless: brancXes, if present, in whorls; has one ge¬ 
nus, Equisetum. 
ORDER II. 
Musci, or the Mosses. 
This Order contains 39 genera of plants, very diminutive in 
size, but of the most vaiied and beautiful structure, and they 
serve many wise purposes in the economy of Nature. Their 
reproductive organs arc generally Monoecious ; the anthers 
are found among the leaves, and the sporules (or seeds) in 
'Thecae (or capsules) online peduncles termed setae, furnished 
with an operculum (or lid) and a Calyptra or veil. The 
genera are thrown into Sections, Sub-Sections, and Divisions. 
The Sections are 2, and formed from the setae, being ter¬ 
minal or lateral. The Sub-Sections depend upon the oper¬ 
culum being adherent or deciduous, and from the presence 
or absence of a periostoma (or fringe). '1 he Divisions are 
formed from the periostoma being single or double. This 
Order is beautifully illustrated by my good friend the inge¬ 
nious and accurate'Mr Oeorge Gardiner, in his Musci Britan - 
nici, or Pocket Herbarium of dried Mosses. 
Section I.—Character, Setae Terminal, (some species of 
the genus Dicranium have lateral setae.) Contains 30 
genera, divided into 3 Sub-Sections. 
Sub-Section I.*- Character, Operculum adhering. 
Contains 2 genera, having their lids fixed to the cap¬ 
sule, without periostoma, 4 valved, or entire. An- 
dria and Phase ora. 
Sub-Section II.—Character, Operculum deciduous, 
capsule without periostome, contains 5 genera, Sphag¬ 
num, CEdopodium, Gyranostomum,Amctangium,and 
Schistos-tega. 
Sub-Section III.—Character, Operculum deciduous, 
capsule with a periostoma, contains 23 genera, sepa¬ 
rated into 2 Divisions, from their periostoma being 
single or double. In the 2d division the genera are 
sub-divided from the cilia, being like distinct teeth, 
like latinise, or segments. 
Section II.—Character, Setae lateral. Contains 9 genera, 
divided into 2 Sub-Sections, from the capsule being fur¬ 
nished with, or being destitute of, a periostoma. 
Sub-Section I —Character, Capsule destitute of a pe¬ 
riostoma. Contains one genus, Hedwigia. Known 
by its dimidiate Calyptra. 
Sub-Section II.— Character, Capsule having a perios¬ 
toma. Contains 8 genera, separated into 2 divisions, 
from the periostoma being single or double. 
Division I.—Character, Capsule with a single 
fringe. Has 2 genera, Pterogonium and Leuco- 
don. The first has 16, and the latter 32 teeth in 
the fringe. 
Division II.—Character, Capsule with a double 
fringe. Contains 6 genera, separated into 2 sub¬ 
divisions, from the inner fringe being composed 
of free or connected cilia. 
Sub-Division I.—Character, Cilia of the inner 
fringe free. Contains 3 genera, Nickeria, 
Anomodon, and Daltonia. 
Sub-Division II.— Character, Cilia of the inner 
fringe connected by a membrane or by trans¬ 
verse bars. Has 3 genera, Fontinalis, Hook- 
eria, and Hypnum. 
ORDER III. 
Hepatic.®, or Liverworts. 
This Order contains 6 genera of very small plants, mostly 
Frondose, seldom leaf-bearing, if so, the leaves are not sev¬ 
ered, but Gemmae are found on different parts of the leaves 
and Fronds. 'They (with the exception of 1 or 2 genera), 
like the common Mosses, on the application of moisture, after 
being dried for a length of time, will speedily revive. 
The genera are distinguishable into 2 divisions, being with 
or without a Calyptra to their capsules, which are either 2 
or 4 valved, sometimes with many openings at the top; seeds 
numerous among spiral filaments, without a lid; or some- 
.what "round bodies, filled with very minute granulations, 
which pass out by a small opening at the top. The names of 
the genera are, The Riccia, Spherocarpus, Antlioceros, Tar- 
giona, Marcantia, and Jungermania. 
ORDER IY. 
Lichenes. 
This Order contains a very extensive and intricate tribe of 
plants, which are the first among vegetable productions to 
clothe the hare rocks and stones with a soil suited to support 
the more highly organised plants. Some of them are used in 
the Arts, and others in Medicine, as the Cetacia Islandica, 
used in coughs and pectoral afflictions, consumptions, &C.; 
and when, by maceration in water, the bitter and cathartic 
principle is extracted, after being dried it is powdered, and 
baked into bread, or boiled with milk into an agreeable nu¬ 
tritious article of diet; as the poorer inhabitants of Iceland 
and Norway eat it as a luxury, and gratefully pour out their 
thankfulness to a bountiful Providence, wliicn sends them 
bread out of the very stones. While the Cladonia rangi- 
farina (or Lichen rangifarinus of Linnaeus) grows in soils and 
situations in abundance where no other vegetable will live; 
and by forming the principal article of support for the Rein¬ 
deer during the long winter of Lapland, it renders that coun¬ 
try habitable to the human species.—This numerous tribe of 
plants vary much in 6hape, soil, and situation, growing on 
the ground, on rocks, on stones, on living trees, or on dead 
timber. In consistency they are coriaceous, membranaceous, 
filamentous, or like fine powder. Some of them lie flat on 
the soil, and are variously lobed, while others are curiously 
branched, and erect themselves like little shrubs. They are 
generally furnished with a Tliallus, crust, or Frond (univer¬ 
sal receptacles), in which an indeterminate mass of sporules, 
knobs, spangles, puffs, Fodaticse, Sec., are found in tubes or 
Thecae. 
There are 39 genera in this Order, formed into 17 distinct 
Families, from the appearance and consistency of the Thallus, 
Apothecia, &c.—Psuedo Fungi. 
Family I.—Baeomyceoe, Thallus crustaceous, Apothecia 
Stipitate.. 
Fam. II.—Calicioideae, Apothecia shaped like a goblet. 
Fam. III.—Graphideae, Apothecia sessile and linear. 
Fam. IV.—Verucari:e, Apothecia half round, tubercle 
with a nucleus. (True Lichens) 
Fam. V.—Liprariae, Apothecia, naked sporules. 
Fam. VI.— V ariolarieae, depressed or hollow shields. 
Fam. VII.—Lecanoreae, Apothecia sitting with a border 
and disk. 
Fam. VIII.—Squamariese, Thallus somewhat leafy, scales 
connected more or less together, Apothecia sitting with 
a disk and border. 
Fam. IX.—Parmilacese, Thallus slightly attached by a 
small base, or by fibres. 
Fam. X.—Collematese, Thallus nioist, or in a gelatinous 
state, Apothecia shield-like. 
Fam. XI.—Peltigere;e, Thallus somewhat like the human 
nail, without or with a very slight border. 
Fam. XII.—Umbilicarrie, Thallus attached by its centre, 
somewhat round. 
Fam. XIII.—Ramalineae, Thallus compressed and jagged. 
Apothecia shield-shaped. 
Fam. XIV.—Usneae, Tliallus with a thread in [the centre, 
Apothecia shield-shaped, fringed, without a rim. 
Fam. XV.—Cornicularie.e, Thallus without a thread in the 
centre, slightly compressed occasionally. 
Fam. XVI.—Spheropliorese, Thallus somewhat round, 
erect, branched, and shrub-like. Apothecia round, and 
either solid or filled with a black powder. 
Fam. XVII. — Cladonia, Thallus (or Padetia) tubular. 
Apothecia succulent and round. 
ORDER V. 
Charace®. 
This order contains but one genus, viz. Chara, which has 
about 8 species of submersed, leafless, aquatic plants, formed 
of straight tubes, transparent, or covered with the carbonate 
of lime, having verticulate branches. 'These plants have never 
been applied to any purpose, and regarding their properties 
there is nothing ascertained. Sir J. Edward Smith, and 
several others, place this genus in Monandria Monagynia. 
ORDER YI. j 
Alg®, or Sea Weeds. 
This Order contains few or none but aquatic plants, singu¬ 
lar in their figure and texture, and considered by some as the 
lowest on the scale of vegetable beings ; yet they approxi¬ 
mate so closely to some of the less perfectly organised ani¬ 
mals, as to render it difficult to draw the line of distinction 
between them. The Fucus, Ulva, and Conferva of Linnaeus, 
embrace nearly all the numerous genera into which this 
Order is now separated by Woodward, Agardh, Lammour- 
oux, and particularly by Dr Greville of Edinburgh, by whose 
devotional attachment, close attention, and invaluable la¬ 
bours, much steady light has been thrown upon this abstruse 
part of Botany. There are 112 genera, and 507 species enu¬ 
merated in this Order, separated into 4 divisions, and grouped 
into 25 tribes. 
Division I.—Inarticulate. Char. Leafy, thread-like plants, 
without joints. Contains 55 genera, arranged into 13 
tribes, from their colour, structure, vesicles, fructification. 
Sec. 
Division II.—Confervoidene. Char. Plants jointed, or 
seemingly so, without gelatine. Contains 29 genera, ar¬ 
ranged into 4 tribes, from their colour being ohve, green, 
red, brown, or purple—from their fructification being 
Monoecious or Dioecious, undivided, in granular masses, 
or separated by transverse septa into round or lenticular 
sporules. Some of them related to the Fungi, composed 
of filaments with capsules—growing in the sea, in fresh 
water, on land, or on rotten wood. 
Division III.—Gloiocladiae. Char. Plants composed of 
globules or filaments, covered with distinct gelatinous 
matter. Contains 12 genera, arranged into 3 tribes, from 
the Plants being thread-form or globular, jointed or 
branched, gelatinous or fleshy, in salt or fresh water. 
Division IV.—Diatomaceae. Char. Very minute Plants, 
formed of variously shaped granules, flat, or compressed 
in circles or in parallel lines, embedded in mucus or gela¬ 
tine, ending in distinct segments—in salt or fresh watei 
—generally found floating in masses, combined with other 
aquatic Plants. 
There are several species of the Algre eaten, and considered 
as delicacies. At certain seasons of the year, cattle feeding 
on the sea coast browse on them Avith greediness. Iodine, 
kelp, and a substitute for isinglass is obtained from some of 
them ; Avliile others of them have obtained a place in our 
pharmacopoeias for their vermifuge properties. 
ORDER VII. 
Fungi, or the Mushroom Tribes. 
This Order consists of Plants formed of cellular and fibrous 
matter, differing considerably in figure, texture, and dura¬ 
tion. Most frequently soft, spungy, and moist, of short dura¬ 
tion; others are hard, coriacious, or cortical, and last for 
years. Some of them possess, and others are destitute of, a 
central nucleus of gelatinous matter, Avliile some are dry and 
powdery. They groAV from decaying and decayed organised 
bodies; immersion in water prevents their reproductive 
sporidia ripening to perfection. Their sporules are found in 
some externally, in others internally, naked, or in cells, re¬ 
quiring frequently the concurrence of many of them to pro¬ 
duce a single individual. 'Their qualities are extremely vari¬ 
ous, some of them being used, and much lauded as articles of 
food : others are alleged to possess valuable medicinal pro¬ 
perties ; while the greater number of them are indigestible, 
and poisonous to the human species, and truly destructive to 
timber, fruit-trees, and corn fields, by the dry-rot, &c. Some 
of them give out hydrogen, others carbonic acid gas, and in¬ 
hale oxygen. In the great scale of Nature they apparently 
perform an important purpose, by facilitating the decomposi¬ 
tion of dead organised matter. The Rev. M. T. Berkeley has 
enumerated and described upwards of 3000 species, and ar¬ 
ranged them into 4 Sub-Orders, 22 Tribes, and 154 Genera, 
three of Avhicli genera, the Agaricus, Peziza, and Sphseria, 
are divided into 77 Sub-Genera, embracing about 639 species. 
Sub-Order I.—Hymenomyates. Char. Hymenium, naked. 
Contains 46 genera, arranged into 6 Tribes, from the 
figure and direction of the receptacle, and from the Hy¬ 
menium being superior or inferior. Names of the Tribes, 
Peliati, Clavati, Mitrati, Cupulati, Tremellini, Seleroticei. 
Sub-Order II.—Gasteromycetes. Char. Hymenium, con¬ 
tained in a uteriform bag. Contains 59 genera, arranged 
into 5 Tribes, from the receptacle being distinct or con¬ 
fluent Avith the uterus, Avith arrangement of the spori¬ 
dia, or from the capsules being single or double—from 
the texture being vesiculose or floccose, and from the 
capsule being scarcely distinct from the nucleus, Sec. 
The names of the Tribes, Angiogastres, Phymomyates, 
Trichospermi, Trichodermacei, and Pyrenomycetes. 
Sub-Oiider III.— Hyphomyotes. Char. Sporidia on dis¬ 
tinct naked threads, or joined in a common trunk. Con¬ 
tains 33 genera, arranged into 5 Tribes, from the nature 
of the sporidia, their size, situation, and manner of sup¬ 
port—from the sporidia being on threads, horizontal or 
perpendicular, in tubes or septae, or being Avithout any 
distinct filaments bearing the sporidia. '1 he names of the 
'Tribes, Cephalotricliei, Muconni, Dematiae, Mucedines, 
and Sepedoni. 
Sub-Order IV.— Coniomyaces. Char. Sporidia naked, 
Avithin the uteriform bag, or under the outer bark of 
Plants. Contains 16 genera, arranged into 4 Tribes, from 
their sporidia being glued together into a disc, or into a 
nucleus, or chained into filaments, unattached, or stipi¬ 
tate ; mostly under the cuticle of plants. The names of 
the Tribes are Tubercularini, Stilbosporei, Sporidesmiei, 
and Hypodermiei. 
