D e sc r ip t io n oe P la t e CXII.—Fig. 1. Plants natural size.
2. Plant, antioal view x 24. 3-8. Leaves x 31. 9. Portion
olTeaf X 290. 10-12. Stiqiules x 85.
2. Plagiochila asplenioides {L.), Dum.
Lichmastrum asplmii facie, p in n is laxioribus (et confertioribus), Dill. Hist. muse.
p. 482, t. 69, f. 5 et 6 (1741).
.Tungermania asplenioides, L. Sp. pi. p. 1595 (1758).
Radula (Plagiochila) asplenioides, Dum. Syll. Ju n g . Eur. p. 42, n. 28 (1831).
Plagiochila asplenioides, Dum. Eeoueil. p. 14 (1835).
Dioicous, cæspitose or creeping amongst mosses, from medium
to very large in size, of a pale green to greenisli-brown colour.
Creeping stem or caudex firm, blackish ; radiculose on the underside,
leafless or with few small leaves, ascending stems pale brown,
rootless, or rootlets very few, but long, apex often recurved, ramose,
branches lateral, subpostioal, arising from the axil of the leaves.
Lower leaves small and distant, others large, contiguous or sub-
imbrioate, suooubous, obliquely inserted, patent, alternate, decurved,
slightly concave, postical margin recurved, postically
decurrent, much decurrent antioally, ovate, obovate or suborbicular,
apex rotundate, ciliate-dentate, dentate, subdentate or entire, teeth
acute ; texture thin to moderately firm, epidermis smooth, cells
medium size to rather large, hexagonal, vacuous or with the
chlorophyl granules lining the margin, walls thin, trigones
wanting or very minute. Stipules absent or rudimentary only.
Bracts similar to upper leaves only larger, erect. Bracteole
wanting. Perianth projecting about half beyond the bracts,
tubular at the base, laterally compressed, long, oblong obovate,
mouth truncate, wide, ciliate-dentate, cilia 3-4 cells long at the
most, usually only 2, apical ones acute, pistillidia 12-25. Pedicel
long. Capsule oval, spores smooth or finely punctate, yellowish-
brown, elaters reddish-brown.
Male stems distinct. $ terminal, perigonial bracts about 5
pairs closely imbricating, semi-amplexicaul, small, obovate, saccate
at the base, basal margin a little incurved, slightly lobulate,
antheridia oval to roundish, 2 in each bract.
Pruits April, May.
D imensions.—Stems from 1 to 6 inches long, diam. '75 mra.,
with leaves 8’ mm. broad; leaves 4 ' min. x 3 ' nim., '35 mm.x
•275 mm. ; teeth of leaves ’5 mm. ; cells '04 mm. ; bracts 4'5 mm.
X 3 'mra. ; perianth 7’ mm. long x S’75 mm. wide at the mouth ;
teeth at mouth of perianth ’1 mm. ; elaters '15 mm. long x
•01mm. wide; spores -0175 mm.; perigonial bracts 1'5 mm.x
1' mm,; antheridia '3 mm. x '225 mm.
H ab.—Growing in dense patches on rooks or creeping aerially
amongst the larger mosses in shady places.
Common. 1-18. I.
Pound on the Continent and in North America.
Obs.—The large aerial ibrm, almost tropical in some of its
forms, and which rarely fruits, is remarkably different in habit
from the smaller and fertile form, which grows usually in dense
patches on damp rocks, but a close microscopic examination
reveals no permanent character which can be relied upon ; the
leaves differ in shape, the margin of both forms vary, from being
entire to ciliate-dentate.
According to original specimens, Plagiochila Dillenii, Tayl. is
the small form.
D escription of P late CXIII.—Pig. 1. Plant natural size.
2. Portion of stem x 11, antical view (Carr. & Pears. 87).
3. Perianth and bract x 11 (Baden, Jack). 4. Portion of mouth
of perianth x 85 (ditto).
D escription of P late CXIV.—Pig. 1. Plants natural size
(var. Dillenii, Tayl.). 2. Portion of stem of type x 11, postical
view (Carr. & Pears. 87). 3. Portion of margin of leaf x 85
(ditto). 4. Portion of leaf x 290 (ditto). 5. Perigonial bract
X 16 (G. & R. 620). 6. Antheridium x 24 (ditto).
3. Plagiochila ambagiosa, Mitten.
Plagiochila ambagiosa. M itten, Trans. Linn. Soc. vol. iii. p. 193 (1891) ; Steph.
Bull, de 1. Herb. Boissier, vol. v. p. 88 (1897).
Dioicous, cæspitose, medium size, of a yellowisli-brown
colour. Stems arising from a creeping or procumbent rhizome