Description of P late CLX V III.—Pig. 1. Plants natural
size. 2. Fertile stem x 24 (Hercynia, Hampe). 3. Ditto x 64
(Castle Howard, Dr. Spruoe). 4. Portion of sterile stem x 64
(ditto). 5. Leaf x 64 (Bettws-y-Coed, Dr. Carrington). 6. Ditto
X 64 (Hercynia, Hampe). 7. Ditto x 85 (Bettws-y-Coed, Dr.
Carrington). 8. Portion of leaf x 290 (ditto). 9. Sub-bract
perigonial, x 64 (ditto). 10, 11. Bracts with portion of perianth
x 24 (Castle Howard, Dr. Spruoe). 12. Antheridium x 85
(Hercynia, Hampe).
6. Marsupella sparsifolia (Lindb.), Dum.
Sarcoscyphus sparsifolia, Lindb. in Not. pro F. Fl. Fenn. Forh 1 p 280 No 13
(18G8).
Nardia (Marsupella) sparsifolia, Lindb. in Not. pro F. Fl. Fenn. Forh xiii
p. 270 (1874).
Marsupella sparsifolia, Dum. Hep. Eur. p. 123 (1874) ; Pears, in “ J o u rn of
Bot.” p. 223 (1884).
Paroicous, cæspitose, stoloniferous, stolons without or with
a few leaves ; small, sphacelate, olive or blackish-brown colour.
Stems creeping, intricately entangled, shoots simple or rarely
irregularly furcate, annotinous, often one, two or three innovations
on a single stem, erect; rootlets short, purple, mostly
on the postical side of the creeping stems and stolons, rarer on
erect shoots. Leaves 12-20 pairs, distichous or subsecund,
alternate, clasping the stem at the decurrent base, ascending,
lower leaves approximate or somewhat distant, vaginate. the few
leaves nearest apex more closely imbricating, roundish-ovate,
cordate-orbiculate, obcordate, subquadrate, some leaves narrow
at the base, emarginate, sinus J to deep, obtusely angular,
wide, rarely acute, segments broad, obtuse, divergent in the
lower leaves, postieal lobe larger ; epidermis not polished, cells
smallish, roundish-quadrate, 4, 5, and 6-sided, walls thick,
reddish-brown through transmitted light, trigones indistinct or
wanting. Perigonial bracts 2-5 pairs, below the perianth, broadly
orbiculate, bifid to about g or sinus and segments obtusate or
acute, Innermost bracts large, ovate, subquadrate, bifid to i
sinus and segments acute. Perianth of much more delicate cell-
struoture, with distinct trigones, adnate with the lower third of
the innermost bracts, divided for half its length into 5 irreo-ular.
denticulate segments, terminal cells elongate, hyaline. Antheridia
oval, stiqiitate, two in each bract. Pistillidia 8, surrounding base
of calyptra. Capsule small, dark brown, almost spherical, walls
composed of two layers.
Pruits in Summer.
D i .iibnsions.—S tems 4 to 1 inch long, T6 mm. x T3 mm.
diam., with leaves 1 ’ mm. wide; cells of stem, cortical layer
'02 mm. X '025 mm., interior '015 mm. ; leaves '8 mm. x '8 mm.,
sinus '25 mm. deep, '85 nim. x '65 mm., sinus '25 mm.; cells
■02 mm. x '03 mra., '02 mm.; bracts 1'2 rnni. x I ' l mm., sinus
'4 mm.; perigonial bracts '9 mm. x '9 mm., sinus '2 mm.; innermost
bracts 1'6 mm. x I'lm m ., sinus '5 mm., 1'5 mm. x 1'3 mm.,
1'4 mm. X I ' l mm.; perianth 1'2 mm. high, segments '4 mm.;
pedicel '21 mm. diam .; capsule '5 m m .; antheridia '02 mm. x
'0125 mm.
H ab,—Grows on rocks in alpine situations. 15. Loch-na-
gar, Aberdeenshire, J. fl T. Sim, August 14, 1876. Only known
British station.
Found on the Continent in Norway, Sweden, Lapland,
Austria, and Switzerland; also in North America.
Obs,—This is a very distinct species, altlioiigh it has been
confused even by Lindberg himself with 31. ustulata (Hüben.), who
has distributed both species under the name of 31. sparsifolia.
I t is a much larger species than 31. ustulata, with which it
agrees only in its inflorescence; the lobes of the leaves are
rounder, habit much more flaccid.
I t IS very similar in appearance to M. sphacelata (Gieseoke),
but differs in being paroicous.
I t is not very unlike some small forms of .Tung, inflata Huds.,
and might easily be mistaken for i t ; but this species is dioicous
and has a perfect perianth.
D escription of P late CLXIX.—Fig. 1. Plants natural size.
2. Stem X 24 (Norway, Norrlin, S. 0. L.), 3-5. Leaves x 31
2 B