Surculi from au inch to a n inch and an h a lf long, procumbent^ flexuose, b ranched, w ith th e
branches o ften e re c t towards th e extrem ity, simple, o r occasionally pro d u c in g a sh o rt
la te ra l sh o o t; th e ir color varies fi'om a pale, to a deep, and a lmost black g re en , in
ccrtsiin s itu a tio n s ; th e texture is r a th e r firm, th e cellules compact.
Leaves (f. f. 4. 5) from h a lf to th re e q u a rte rs o f a line o r even more in le n g th , closely
placed, b u t scarcely so much so as to be imbricated, in a bifai’ious man n e r, plane, or
very slightly waved, h orizonta l, o f a widely ova te* figure at. th e base, h a lf su rro u n d in g
th e stem, and h aving th e lower ma rg in very much d e c u rre n t; a t th e extrem ity th ey are
divided for ab o u t one fourth n r one fifth o f th e ir len g th , w ith a sinus more o r less a cu te ,
in to two, e q u a lf , sh a rp , an d s tra it segments, th e tips o f which resemble m in u te cilia
o r te e th , whence th e p lant has its name. T h e color o f th e leaves is always a singularly
lig h t g re en , sometimes almost a p proa ching to w h ite ; th e texture th in ; th e cellules la rg e ,
and forming, with th e ir intei-stices, a be autiful so rt o f le ticu la tio n .
Perigonial leaves ab o u t te n o r twelve in numbe r, e ith e r placed q uite a t th e extrem ity , or
a t th e middle o f a b ranch, ventricose, crowded, an d lying closely im b ric a ted over one
an o th e r in two rows, as is th e case with those o f J . asplenioides; in like m a n n e r, also,
th<-ir apices a re recurved, anti divided in to two, th re e , o r even four sh a rp and often
tmequa l segments.
T h e Periclia-tiul leaves (f. 7 ) may he saitl to commence vvifh th e second p a ir o f leaves from
th e calyx, which, however, scarcely differ h om th e re st, except in be ing longe r and more
inclined to be e re c t; th e lii-st pa ir a re twice th e len g th o f th e cauline leaves, q u ite e re c t,
and appressed to th e calyx, deeply divided in to two, equal, lanceolate segments, which
are here and th e re d en ta te o r ciliatc on th e margins.
Stipules (f. 6) one to every p a ir o f leaves, appressed to th e un d e r side o f th e surculus,
oblong, generally dii’ided in to tw o , and sometimes th re e , principal segments, which are
variously laciniated.
T h e M ale F r u c t if ic a t io n , which I was n ot fo rtu n a te enough to possess in a good s ta te , till
i t was too late to add i t to th e figure, is readily discovered by th e s in g u la r disposition of
th e p c rieonia l leaves, in th e axillæ o f each o f which a re situ a ted two o r th re e spherical
<11- somewhat ovate anthers, te rm in a tin g short, w h ite , transversely s tria ted fo o ts ta lk s or
filaments.
F em a l e F r u c t if ic a t io n te rm in a l upon th e surculi and upon th e small latei-al shoots.
Calyx ( f 8) a b o u t a line lo n g , sometimes slightly incurved in an early s ta te o f the
fructification, ovato-oblong, obtusely tr ia n g u la r ; th e m o u th , th o u g h slightly contra c ted,
previously to th e emission o f th e capsule, is afte rwa rds somewliat expanded, i t lias a
ra llie r deep iDcision on one side, and is bordered w ith numerous laciniæ. T h e texture
and color of th e calyx scarcely differ from those o f th e leaves.
Calyptra (f. 9) pale brown, th in , re ticu la ted : s ty le sh o rt, tu b u la r.
* Weber describes the leaves to be ‘ o s u b q u a d r a ta w h i c h does not exactly correspond with those of o
f According to Dr. Smith’s figure and description, in English Botany, it would appear that the segments a
occasionally of unequal s iz e : I have never remarked them to be so myself.
Peduncle ab o u t thre e q u a rte rs o f an inch in le n g th , white, succulont, cellulose, a little
waved when i t has reached its full height.
Capsule exactly ovate, -deep b rown, longitudina lly and transversely furrowed, sp littin g , at
m a tu rity , into four equal valves.
.Seeds and s p i r a / / ¿ a i n e n i s (f. 10) o f a rich, fulvous brown; th e former spherical, th e la tle r
composed o f a double helix.
3 I am induced to notic e as a distin c t variety, because, am o n g th e many specimens I liave
examined, I have scarcely found any differ a t all from th e figure here given. I t is generally of
a la rg e r size th a n a , and sim p le ; th e stem and leaves d a rk e r; th e la tte r slightly concave and
obtusely em a rg in a te a t the extrem ity, with th e points or segments more o r less blunt. The
stipules, too, I have always rema rked, are more irregula rly dividetl in to more numerous laciniæ.
J . bidentata may be reckoned among th e most common o f th e trib e , and I was formerly o f opinion
th a t i t m ig h t also be considered as one o f tlie most distim t , till my friend, Mr Francis, pointed
o u t to me th e Var. 8 grow in g in th e vicinity o f his re sid en c e ; and Miss Hutchins kindly
communicated a p lan t, which, th o u g h it has many peculiarities in common with th e present
species, ye t has marks o f d isc rimina tion so s trik in g , tha t I am induced to reserve a more full
description o f it for a n o th e r p a r t o f th is publication. I t will he sufficient in this place to observe,
th a t i t is distinguished from J . bidentata in having th e leaves c u t in to th re e , more frequently than
in to two, segm en ts; and in c ith e r case they are very distinctly, b u t irregula rly, toothed. In the
pericheetial leaves th is d en ticula tion is still m ore obvious. T h e stipules, also, instead o f being
variously la ciniated, a re regula rly bifid, with th e segments only slightly toothed. T h e characfers,
which distinguish J . bidentata from J . heterophylla, will he enla rged upon in th e following
de sc ription; so ne a rly, however, do tlie two plants approach, th a t, ))v some w rite rs on th e subject,
th ey have been looked upon as me re va rie tie s o f each o tlie r; and, indeed, such was formerly my
own opinion.
T h e agreeable smell th a t has frequently been noticed as liiffused by this p lan t, appears to lie by
no means confined to i t alone. D r. S chrader un d e r his J . graveolens (which ajipeais closely allied
to o u r J . trichomanis) rem a rk s “ Odor plan tæ recentis gravis, Scandici Cerefolio baud clissimilis."
In J . bidentata I have obsen-ed th e sc en t to be more powerful a fte r tlic p la n t had been dried for a
few days, and th en recovered by an application o f m oisture.
On this Ju n g e rm a n n ia I have more th a n once had th e opp o rtu n ity o f observing th a t pistilla arc
formed before th e calyx, and, by examining th e te rm in a l c luste rs o f le ave s*, they may not
• Such leaves I have generally found to be divided into two, three, or even four segments, a t the extremity,
and these varying much in size and direction. Is it not possible that these may unite and form the ralyx? An
incision, more or less deep, is generally seen in one or other of the angles, as if the leaves (supposing such a
change to take place) had not been united quite to their apices. The same appearance, also, may be remarked in
J . helcrnphylla (see i. ill. / . 12.), in J . asplenioides, aud J . spinulosa.