Stems creequng, simple or with one, rarely two postical branfthes,
proceeding from near the apex, 5 to 6 cells in diameter, cortical
cells about 12, similar to inner, all hyaline ; radiculose, rootlets
plentiful, long, hyaline. Leaves subtransversely inserted, patent-
divergent below 60°-70°, above patent to erecto-patent 50°-30°,
approximate, larger, accrescent above, often capitate, below distant
and smaller, oval, ovate-quadrate or roundish, concave or slightly
complicate, bilobed to the middle or below, segments subinourved,
acute, acuminate or muoronate, margin irregularly spinulose-
dentate, or subdenticulate ; texture delicate, epidermis smooth,
cells minute to small, snbquadrate, walls thin but firm, no trigones
or thickened angles. Stipules everywhere present, minute below,
lanceolate or subulate, mucronate, spinulose-dentate or denticulate.
Bracts larger than the leaves, bilobed to a third, segments sub-
spinose-dentate ; bracteole of equal length, broadly subulate or
ovate-lanceolate, entire or bilobed to Perianth projecting f
beyond the bracts, delicate, hyaline or with a reddish tinge or
brown, suboylindrical, plicate above, mouth slightly or not at all
contracted, denticulate; pistillidia few. Capsule dark brown,
nearly smooth, as broad as the dark brown elaters. Androecia
produced from the end of the chief stem on one or two very slender
branches, catkinlike; perigonia] bracts several, larger than the
stem leaves, erect, concave, bilobed to about a third ; antheridia
large and round.
Pruits April.
Dimensions.—Stem 3 inch long, '05 mm. diam., with leaves
■3 mm. wide ; stem leaves '25 mm. x '225 mm., segments T25 mm. ;
branch leaves T65 mm. x T25 mm., seg. T mm., cells '0175 mm. ;
cells of marginal teeth '03 mm. x ’Ol mm.; stipules -14 mm.
X '05 mm.
Hab.—On damp shady earth or rocks. Extremely rare.
I. Curbis Bay, near Penzance, W. Mitten, W. Curnow,
G. E. Davies, Mrs. Ella M. Tindall. 2. Ashdown Forest, Sussex,
coll. G. E. Davies, detected by W. Mitten.
Pound on the Continent (Italy, France, Germany).
Obs,—Distinguished from Ceph. elachista (Jack.) by its less
slender habit, shorter stems, with closer upper leaves, which are
not so deeqily divided, margin spinulose-dentate, stipules larger
and spinulose-denticulate.
From Prionotohus Tiirneri (Hook.) by absence of any lateral
branches, presence of stipules and texture of leaves, which is not
guttulate.
Dr. Spruce oonjeotured that the inflorescence might be
dioicous, but Herr Limpricht has found copiously fertile plants
which prove it to be monoicous.
All the specimens I have been able to examine were barren;
the description of the fertile plant is taken from Limpricht.
D escription op P late LXXIII.—Fig. 1. Plants natural size.
2. Portion of stem, postical view x 85 (Cornwall, Curnow and
Davies). 3-5. Branch leaves x 85 (ditto). 6-8. Leaves x 85
(ditto). 9-12. Ditto x 64 (Italy, Carestia), IS, 14. Ditto x 64
(Gascony, Spruce). 15. Portion of leaf x 290 (Cornwall,
Curnow and Davies). 16-19. Stipules x 85 (ditto). 20. Stiqiule
X 64 (Italy, Carestia). 21. Ditto x 64 (Gascony, Spruce).
22. Ditto X 85 (Ashdown Forest, G. E. Davies).
Genus 15. PBIONOLOBUS, Spruce.
Jungermania, Hooker, B rit. Jung. t. 29 (181G).
Anthelia, Dum. Recueil, p. 18 (1835).
Cephalozia, Lindb. in Jo u rn . Linn. Soc. viii. (1873).
Prionolohus, Spruce, Hep. Am. e t And. p. 508 (1885).
Acrocarpous, fertile branches sometimes abbreviate, often
elongate. Branohes all lateral, very rarely with an occasional
postical one. Leaves dentate, complicate, pectinato-distichous.