Stems * from two to th re e and even f o n r f inches in len g th , and ab o u t tlie ha lf o f a line in
bre ad th , nearly e re c t, flexuose; th e p rima ry division, wliich takes place ne a r th e b ase, i§
generally dichotomous, th e r e s t o f th e p lan t is p in na ted with p a ten t, a lte rn a te , and
somewhat d is tan t branches, from th re e to five lines in le n g th , which a re , in like
man n e r, o ften ag a in be se t with still s lio rte r pinnulæ. T h e ex trem e ones are very
slender and z ig z ag , somewha t re sembling th e rachis o f an e a r o f barley. T h e texture is
every where firm and compact, closely cellular, p a rticula rly iu th e lowe r p a r t, wliere it
is o f a hi-ownish h ue ; th e re s t is o f a yellow-green color.
Leaves (f. 4) about ha lf a line long, b u t, w h a t is rem a rk ab le , scarcely largcj- on th e m a in
p a r t o f th e stem th a n on th e secondary b ranche s; th u s ap p e a rin g as if the se stems had
outgrown th e leaves, which a re in th a t p a rt also d is tan tly placed ; in th e re s t o f th e
plan t they a re more o r less closely imbricated over tlie up p e r p a rt o f th e surculi, and
a t th e extrem ity they form a th ick head o r tu f t. E a ch is p a te n t or horizonta l with
reg a rd to th e stem , divided in to two unequa l lobes, o f which th e lower one is th e
smallest, plane, conduplicate w ith th e u p p e r one, and appressed to its u n d e r surface : th e
superior lobe is plane, o r very slightly convex, acute ly c le ft nearly down to th e base
in to two lin e a r o r lanceolate segments, whose apices and ma rg in s, as well as those o f
th e lesser lobe (th o u g h n o t in so g re a t a deg re e ), ai-e divided and subdivided in to manv
capillary segments o f various lengths, an d as variously cuiwed, which give a tomentose
appearance to th e whole p lan t, and render th e tn ie figure o f th e le a f very difficult to be
observed- T h e cellules o f th e le a f are oblong, r a th e r la rg e in pro p o rtio n to its siz e ; in
th e na rrowe st p a r t o f th e branched segments th ey occupy th e whole diam e te r, th u s
h aving a jo in ted appearance, resembling th a t o f many Confervæ, an d th e curious leaves
o f Jungermannia tru-hoplujlla and setacea: and, like th em too, th e jo in ts in d ry in g are
here and th e re frequently contracted. T lie ir color is almost always a pale gre en,
resembling th a t o f J . incisa, though sometimes, as Mr. LyeU has observed, va iy in g to a
deeper h u e ; which happens, probably, whenever th e p la n t grows in less exposed
situ a tio n s th a n usual.
In th e Perigonial leaves I c an d istinguish no difference w ha teve r from th e rest.
Pericheetial leaves (f. 7) wholly w a n tin g , unless th e pubescence th a t arises from th e
ex te rio r surface o f th e ealyx may be looked u pon as such. This is composed o f minute ,
capillary, and slightly-branched processes, which, u n d e r a high power o f th e microscope,,
are seen to resemble th e narrowest o f th e laciniæ u pon th e leaves, and like them have
th e jo in te d appearance o f a Conferva.
Stipule one to every p a ir o f leaves, su b q u ad ra te ; g ene ra lly a b o u t th e width o f th e stem,
cleft a t th e apex in to a n um b e r o f v ery na rrow, and, frequently, branched segments.
M ale FaucTiFicAxioN. Anthers s itua ted on th e u p p e r surface of the- stem, in th e axillæ o f th e
leaves, spherical, re ticu la ted , o f a gre enish h ue , and placed a t th e extrem ity o f a sh o rt w hite
footstalk.
• WAcn the plant is dry, the distantly placed stipules, o n the larger part of the stem, become visible, and give
it the appearance of being jointed.
t Halier dtsciibes them as reaching to the length of h alf a foot, in the neighborhood of Berne, in Switzerland.
F emal e F r u c t if ic a t io n in th e axillæ of th e p rima ry divisions o f th e stem.
Calyx (f. f. 5. 6) nearly a line a n d a half long, oblong, cylindrical, a little inc re a sing in
size towards ihe m outh, which is expanded and e n tir e ; its whole substance firm and
subearnose ; indeed, as much so as th a t o f the stem, w ith th e n a tu re o f w hich i t seems to
agree. I t is o f a yellowish-brown color, and is, on its exte rior surface, beset w ith those
capillary branche.l processes, which I have described above as th e perichætial leaves:
these form a t th e m outh a m in u te k in d o f fringe.
Calyptra none, (see f. 6.) At least, in th e only specimen o f th e calyx th a t I had a n opportu
n ity o f dissecting, I was n o t able to find any. I t may, however, have been an in ju red
o n e : ye t ! am acqua inted w ith two foreign .‘■pecies o f this genus th a t have, like the
pre sent, th e p e richætia l leaves a ris in g from th e calyx, in which I have univeraally found
th a t th e ca lyptra was w an tin g ; a c ircumstance th a t tends to confirm my belief th a t the
ge rmen is here likewise d e s titu te o f th a t pa rt.
Peduncle one o r even two inches in le n g th , s tria ted , and often slightly tw isted, fixed
in to th e re ceptacle by means o f a small obconical bulb, and te rm in a ted by the
Capsule, o f an ovate shape, an d deep purplish brown co lo r; dividing a t m a tu rity in to four
equal valves.
T h e seeds and spiral filaments (f. 8), which I have only seen from an imperfect capsule, ai'ç
o f a fulvous color; th e former spherical, th e la tte r composed o f a double helix.
J . lomentella is readily enough d istin g u ish ed in its place o f grow th , from every o th e r
species, no less by its very pale color, th a n by th e e x ten t o f ground occupied by its tu fts . I t
bears considerable affinity w ith th e J . ciliaris o f L in næ u s ; b ut, besides th e g i'e a t diflerence in
color ( J . ciliaris b e ing always move o r less of a rich yellow-brown); o u r p re sen t p lan t is much
less convex in th e u p p e r surfa c e o f its leaves, wliich a re d itided in to fa r na rrowe r segments, and
th e laciniæ are cnnaiderahly longer, and more nume rous, as well as greatly more branched, than
is th e case with th a t species, in which, moreover, th e stems a re a lmost ahvays procumbent. In
th e Banksian He rba rium, as well as in Dr. Sm ith 's and Mr. 'I'u rn e r's, are preserved specimens of
a Ju n g e rm a n n ia from New Zealand and th e Sandwich Isles, so closely allied to this, th a t I cannot
do otherwise tlian mention it as a va rie ty, and, indeed, I am unable to p o in t o u t any difference,
except in th e ramification, which in th e exotic specimens is simply p inna te , and m th a t respect
approaches in its mode o f b ranching to [hjpvum C r h la -m lr e n s k ; infinitely more so th an J . to-
mentella does, as oberved by VVeis.
Dillenius ju s tly says, when spe aking o f th e figure o f this species in Vaillant, “ nec ramos-
nec folia e t eorum’ viilum bcnè re p ré s e n tâ t:” indeed, it bears a much n e a re r resemblance to
J . fucoides of Swa rtz 's Flora In d ia Occidenlalis, th an to our species. I t was reserved for th e
a u th o r o f th e Hisloria Muscorum, to reprc.sent with g r e a t correctness this inte re stin g p lan t, and
his description is scarcely less a c curate. “ Kami se cunda rii,” he observes “ ñervos tenues h ab en t
e t foliolis frequentissimis v e s tiu u tu r, primavii verb, seu caules, pro plantæ ra tione crassi su n t.