prostrate and radiculose or assurgent and sub-erect, all lateral or
postioo-Iateral, eflagelliferous. Leaves moderately large, delicate,
in all European species alternate, in several tropical ones opposite,
succubous, antical margin much deourrent, postical shortly
arcuately inserted, oblique, ovato-oblong or very often sub-
triangular, apex broadly truncate, erect, exoiso-bidentate or bi-
apiculate, rarely perfectly explánate, often convex or decurvulate,
rarely recurvo-secund ; antioal margin somewhat straight, principally
recurved at the base, postical rotundate or somewhat
straight, margin entire, or in a few species more or less serrulate,
ciliate or spinose. Cells rather large or medium size, rarely small,
leptodermous, in a few species with the angles thickened. Stipules
everywhere qiresent, 2-4 times shorter than the leaves, cuneate or
snbquadrate, bifid, sometimes unidentate on both sides. Inflorescence
dioicous or monoicous (very rarely paroicous). Androecia
on the middle or ends of the branches, rarely the whole length ;
bracts several pairs, small, above recurved, bifid, antical lobule
turgid, incurved, unidentate, antheridium solitary, large. Flowers ?
terminal on the stem or branches (rarely abbreviated) ; bracts
about 3 pairs, but little different from the leaves, slightly larger,
more frequently laciniate or spinose ; bracteoles a little shorter,
apex someivhat conformable to the leaves, very often free, or only
at the base connate with one of the bracts. Pistillidia 18-60.
Perianth emersed, trigono-prismatic, often oblong 2-4 times
longer than broad, rarely shorter and urceolate, angles (antioal
above the others) in tropical species very often dentato-alate,
almost always in European species wingless, in a very few species
with a facial crest added ; mouth trifid (trilabiate), lips bifid, very
often laciniate or ciliate, leptodermous, only towards the base bi-
(at the angles tri-) stratose. Calyptra about half the size, obovate,
delicate, afterwards lacerated at the apex, surrounded at the base
by the sterile pistillidia. Capsule on a long pedicel, oblong-
globose, dividing to the base into 4 valves, 5-strata. Elaters
elongate, hispiral. Spores minute, smooth.
1. Lophocolea b id en ta ta (Z.), Dnm.
Jungermania major repens fo liis hifidis, Mioh. Nov. pi. gen. p. 8, t f.,f 12 (1729).
Liehenasirum p in n u lis acutioribus, oonmvis, b ijdis, majus, Dill. Hist. Muse.
p. 487, t. 70, f. 11 (1741).
Jungermania bidentata, Airm. Sp. pi. p. 1598 (1753); Hook. B n t. Ju n g , t, oO
(1816).
Lophocolea bidentata, Dum. Recueil, p. 17 (1835).
Lophocolea Ilooheriana, Nees Nat. Eur. Leb. 11, p. 336 (1836).
Dioicous, loosely and broadly cæspitose, medium size, pale
green, sometimes almost white in colour. Stems procumbent,
flexuose, firm, ramose, branohes ascending; radiculose, rootlets
small, whitish. Leaves sub-imbrioate, approximate or distant,
broadly ovate, antical margin deourreut, plane or slightly undulate,
patent-divergent or horizontal, bifarious, bifid to about I f f ,
segments lanceolate, subulate, acuminate, unequal, the lower
usually smaller than the upper, sinus rounded or acute. Aromatic.
Texture thin, epidermis smooth, ceils largish, oblong-hexagonal or
4, 5-sided, walls thin—but with the chlorophyl grannies adhering
to them they often appear thick—trigones minute. Stipules
free, large, sometimes reflexed, bifid or quadrifid, usually bifid to
below the middle, with a smaller segment on the two outer margins,
segments subulate. Bracts erect, larger than the leaves, oval or
broadly oval, bifid, trifid or quadrifid to about L, margin here
and there dentate or ciliate, segments and sinus acute. Bracteole
oblong-oval, bifid, trifid, or rarely quadrifid to about I f f , segments
and sinus acute, margin slightly dentate or ciliate. Perianth
terminal, ovate-oblong, obtusely triangular, mouth widish, trilobate,
laciniate. Pistillidia numerous (60), often with a purplish
tinge.’ Calyptra thin. Capsule ovate, deep brown. Spores rich
fulvous brown, spherical, about twice as broad as the elaters-
Elaters hispiral, dark brown. Perigonial bracts 10-12, terminal
or at the middle of a branch, closely imbrioate, erecto-patent,
ronndish-ovate, bifid, trifid, or rarely quadrifid to about i f f
segments aonte, sinus rounded ; antheridia 1 or 2, oval ; perigonial
bracteole quadrifid.
Fruits March, April.