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natifida, under which species it is mentioned as var. 7, in our
first volume. If we take ordinary specimens of L. pinnatifida and
compare them with specimens of our present plant, they appear
distinct enough ; but narrow and ill-grown individuals of the
former species come very close, it must be confessed, to the latter.
The chief characters of our L. cæspitosa are a cylindrical frond,
with alternate and very erect ramuli. The latter characters and
the very lurid colour distinguish it from L. obtusa.
L. cæspitosa appears to have been first taken up as a species
by Lamouroux, but was long neglected, or confounded with
Jj. dasyphylla. The credit of restoring it to a place in the system
is due to M. Montagne, who has given an excellent account
of it in Mr. Webb’s Nat. Hist, of the Canary Islands. It has
a wide geographical range, and is tolerably abundant in the places
where it occurs.
Fig. 1. L a u r e n c i a c æ s p i t o s a :— ihe natural size. 2. Portion of a branch.
3. Apex of a branchlet, with tetraspores. 4. A tetraspore :— all more or
less highly magnified.
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