5 singly, c re eping among
iady
l’ i,\NT g rowing sometimes in densely-matted pa tche s, a t o th e r t in
Splwgmim latifolium and ccipiUifoHum, o r D ic ra n im glaucum.
Root c o n sb tin g o f rathei' tliickly-placed, w hitish, simple fibres, shooting o u t from r
th e whole len g th o f th e u n d e r side o f tlie p lant.
Stems from h a lf to th re e q u a rte rs o f an inch in le n g th , an d th e te n th o f a line in diameter,
pro cum b en t, fiexiiose, rai'cly simple, more fi'equently once or twice branched, with th e
branches having th e appearance o f b e ing aga in divided, in consequence o f th e in n o va
tions; they are o f a gi'een color, sometimes approaching to a brownish-black, and I
have la te ly received specimens from Mr. Lyell, in which both th e stems and roots har-e
a deep purple tin g e .
Leaves ra th e r closely placed, thougli scarcely imbricated, bifarious, distichous, p a te n t,
o r even occasionally deflcxo-patent, with th e la te ra l m a rg in s ahvays more o r less
in cuived (f. 4 ) , a b o u t a q u a rte r o f a line in len g th , o f a subquadrate figure, divided a t
th e extrem ity by a ivide and obtuse notch, o f w hich tlie points o r segments a re acute ,
and, in th e extreme leaves, sometimes invo k ite j th e lower ones, i t is to be rema iked,
are cleft in to thi'ee (f. 5 ) , o r, which is more i-ai-e, four te e tli ( f 6) o r segments, wliich
a re frequently o f unequa l sizes : th e texture is r a th e r delicate, th e cellules small,
roundish ; th e color a pale gre en, a ssuming more or less o f a brownish t in t, in much
exposed situations.
T h e perigonial leaves do n o t differ from th e rc.st (f. 9).
Perichcttial leaves (f, 7) closely em bra c ing th e calyx, c u t a t th e ir extrem ity in to th re e ,
four, and even five a cu te , and large, b u t unequally-sized teeth.
M a le PHuCTincATioN. Anthers (f. f. 9 . 10. 1 1 ) s itua ted, two o r th re e to g e th e r, in th e axillæ o f th e
te rm in a l leaves. H ith e ito I have only observed them on d istin c t individuals from those which
b e a r female fructification. T h e form o f each anther is ovate, or ro tu n d o -o v a te : th e older ones
a re o f a gi-eenish ash-color, and s trongly re ticula ted. T h e fo o ts ta lk is about h a lf th e lengtli of
th e an th e r, white , and marked with tiunsverse lines.
F em a le F r u c t i f i c a t i o n te rm in a l, th o u g h ve iy frequently, as is repre sented in th e p la te , i t has
th e appearance o f being la le ra l (-f. 3>, from you n g shoots*, which arise immediately b ene a th it.
The calyx is rema rkable fo r b e ing in its early s ta te o f a spherical figure ( f 3 ) , and 1 was
un fo rtu n a te ly n ot a cquainted with th e fructification in a more advanced pei'iod o f its
grow th , till a long tim e a fte r th e plate was engraved. By specimens, however, which
I have lately re c e iied , I am enabled to arid th a t th e calyx, a t th e tim e i t produces
capsules, is oblongo-ovate ; a t all times plicate towards th e extremity. T h e mouth is
c o ntra c ted and m inute ly toothed.
Calyptra ovate, whitish, tipped witli its tu b u la r style.
barren p istilla (f. f. 14, 1ft) six o r seven in n um b e r, lin e a r, o f a greyish color, longitudina
lly ma rked w ith reddish lines, th e ir apex a little expanded.
Peduncle from a q u a rte r to h a lf an inch lo n g , w h ite , sliining, transversely and
lo n g itudina lly striated.
• Probably Micheli w
sessile, in the centre of ;
acquainted with.
IS deceived by this cite
plant that is branched i
nstance. His figure, however, gives the idea of the calyx being
a stellated manner; which is not the casc in any species that I am
Cnpsule ovate, deep brown, furrowed.
Seeds and spiral filaments o f a fulvous brown color; th e former exactly spherical, tlie la tte r
composed o f a double helix.
pB s. T h e spherical clusters o f genmre ( f 1 2 ) , which form one of th e most s triking
features o f this species, are situ a ted a t th e points o f th e te rm in a l leaves, bo th o f tlic
main branches and o f th e young shoots; they arc, when perfect, so compact as to
resemble little pale yellow-gi'ccn b a lls; when sc a tte red about, hotvei’c r, tticy are found
to be composed o f extreme ly minute , a n g u la r, pellucid granule s (f. 13).
Few Ju n g e n n a n n iæ seem to be less understood th a n th e p re s en t species, which, indeed, is n ot
mucli to be wondered a t, when we consider th e close affinity i t bcar.s with J . excisa; from
which i t may be distinguished by its la rg e r size, more branched h abit, th e involute ma rgins of
th e leaves, and th e ab u n d an t and l ery conspicuous genimaceous globules. O f th is species tlie
capsules ai-e exti'emely ra re , th o u g h calyces are frequently to be m e t w ith , which, like th e sterile
calyces o f J . infiata, fall from th e p la n t w ith a vei-y s lig h t toucii.
Mr. Diclcson first discovered this species in B rita in, and a scertained i t to be th e “ Jungermannia
minima, repens, fo liis bifidis, vagina fiorum ventricosa" o f Micheli; and it appears to me th a t
th e “ Jungermannia minor, repens, fo liis subrotundis, bifidis, vagina fiorum cylindraceà,'' o f th e same
author, may be re fe rred to with equal ¡»ropriety. W ith reg a rd to th e figures, they cannot
c ertainly be considered as a c cu ra te repre senta tions o f th e p la n t; and wh a t Micheli says o f •
f, 15, applies also, to f. 13, “ Ipsa pian ta duplò m inor e st quàm ex p rim it Icon." T h e gemmæ are
p a rticula rly ill done, and seem to indicate t h a t th e clusters are supported by a footstalk. Dillenius
has done no more th an copy th e Michelian figure and description. Roth, u n d e r his / . globulifera,
has, as i t ajipcars to me, and as I have already had occasion to m ention, described th re e species;
th e p re sent, J . exsecta, and J . excisa. Pollich’s p la n t above quoted, ou g h t, perhaps, ra th e r to be
re fe rred to un d e r th is species, th a n u n d e r J . hicuspidata, where I have also quoted it, th o u g h in
bo th instances w ith a m a rk o f inteiTogation. I have inse rted T im m e ’s J . globulifera, as a
synonym, solely upo n th e au th o rity o f Roth. T h e p la n t o f Haller can hardly be doubted,
especially as he quotes f . x iv . o f th e Diss. Jung, o f Schmidel, which I tliink may with equal
c e rta in ty be said to be long to J ventricosa. T h e excellent w rite r la st mentioned has, never-
tlieless, confounded i t w ith J. bidentata, and Webe r has made i t his v a r .y , o f th e same species.
Ha lle r an d Weber say th a t they have obsei'ved th e globule s o f th e gemmæ to be confined to one
p o in t o f th e leaf, wliilst N e ck e r very ju s tly rema rks, th a t they a re common to both.