on th e ground, in subalpine countries.—y . has been found in various p a rts o f Ire land by
Miss Hutchins, Mr. Templeton, Mr. Turner, and Mr. Mackay.—At Kinnordy, Scotland, by
Mr. L y e ll, and n e a r Forfar by Mr. George D o n ; b u t no fructification has h ithe rto been
discovered upon this variety.
P l a n t g ro w in g in la rg e dense patches, closely appressed to th e su rfa ce, w h ic h affords i t n o u rish ment.
T h e Roots consist o f simple, white fibres, produced h e re and there from th e lower surface of
th e midrib o f the frond, and n ot easily distinguished from th e hairs which a re intermixed
with them.
Fronds from h a lf to th re e -qua rte rs o f an inch or ra th e r more in length, creeping, horizontal,
lying over each othe r in an imbricated m a n n e r : in width scarcely equalling ha lf a h n e ;
, th roughout linear th in and submembranaceous, slightly waved, th e ma rgins quite entire,
never (except in a very young state) simple, always branched in a somewhat dichotomous
manne r, with th e ramuli furcate for the most p a r t a t th e extrem ity ; whence th e n am e ;
th e apices o b tu s e : the uppe r surface is d e stitu te o f h airs o r covering o f any kind ; b u t th e
margin and th e surface beneath are beset more or less thickly w itli ra th e r stout, white,
and simple iiairs, which upon th e ma rgin have very frequently a ciliated appearance. The
texture is delicate, th e cellules ro u n d ish ; the color a pale and jdeasant green. T h roughout
the whole len g th o f the frond and its ramifications a c entral, slender, b u t very distinct,
nerve or midrib extends, on th e lower surface alone o f whicii are seen a few hairs : there
too it gives rise to innovations, which are to be o bserved a t almost every season o f the year,
and in various stages o f grow th , from the young, ovate, and almost nerveless shoot
(t. LV. f -1 7 ) , to th e la rg e r, an the r-be a ring, and branched kinds, which in every respect
resemble the p a ren t, separating from i t in a little time, th row in g o u t roots, and becoming
a new and distinct individual.
M a l e F r u c t i f i c a t i o n abundant on distinct individuals from th e female (see t a b . l v . ) , placed
within a peculiar receptacle or perigonium, attached to th e underside o f the frond ( f . 15, 16), and
always upon th e midrib. I t has th e appearance o f being a young shoot or innovation (for in
color and tex tu re I can perceive no difference) rolled u p in to a spherical figure, and generally
beset externally with bristle-shaped hairs (f. 18). I t is sufficiently pellucid to admit o f th e
Anthers being obscurely seen within, and on cutting o r te a rin g open a perigonium (f. 19),
they may be distinctly seen to be fixed, in clusters o f th re e or four in each, to th e midrib.
T hey are o f an ovate o r spherical form (f. 20, 2 1 ), faintly reticulated in an early stage of
g row th , more remarkably so wlien arrived a t th e ir full size. T h e fo o ts ta lk is very short,
w h ite , obscurely striated.
F e m a l e F r u c t i f i c a t io n ( t a b . l v i .) arising from various parts o f the lower surface o f the
midrib.
T h e Calyx a t first resembles a scale (f, S. 5 ), appressed to th e frond, o f a roundish form,
convex on the external surface, a t the extremity, and, indeed, n o t unfrequently a long the
whole m a rg in , very beautifully fringed with lo n g w hitish cilia o r hairs : a t a more
advanced period (f. 6) it may be seen to be two-lobed, and when the calyptra is exserted
th e calyx is cu t into two very deep, subieniform lobes, which are conduplicate, embracing
th e base o f th e calyplra (i. f. 3 . 8. and 9). These, I have g re a t reason to believe, shoot
o u t into innovations, a fte r th e decay o f th e fruc tific a tion; fo r th e ir two-lobed figure
gradually disappears, and the calyces a re converted into shoots, like th a t represented a t
f . 1 3 . oF T ab. L v n
P islilla (f, f. 5, 6, 7 ) rarely more th a n th re e or four in each calyx, large, broadly ovate, the
m outh a little expanded and crenate. They a re faintly marked longitudinally and
transversely with dusky lines.
Calyptra obovate, carnose, curved a t the base, which, as ha s been already remarked,
originates in th e underside o f the frond, erect, a t th e extremity o f a whitish color, beset
on every side w ith many w hite , rigid hairs or bristles, which stand o u t for the most part
in a horizontal direction, and give th e calyptra a remarkably hispid o r almost echinated
appearance. An irregula rly to rn b u t vertical fissure is formed for the emission of the
capsule.—I have n o t been able to discover any style.
Peduncle about thric e as lo n g as tlie calyptra, ra th e r wide in proportion to its length, while,
cellulose, tipped w ith th e ovate, o r rotundo-ovate.
Capsule, which is o f a deep brown color (f. 16), strongly reticulated, opening in to four equal
ovate valves, th a t soon fall back and become twisted.
Seeds spherical (f.. 12), brown o r fulvous: th e spiral filaments are o f the same color,
composed each o f a single helix o f considerable len g th , and much a tten u a ted a t each
extremity. Many o f them continue to adhere a t th e apices o f th e valves o f th e capsule, as
in J . Hookeri, J . pinguis, ire.
Var. /3. {(. 2) scarcely differs from a b u t in its la rg e r size, and more elongated, as well as stra ite r,
h ab it. I t is also o f a more yellow color than th e usual appearance o f the plant.
Var. y . ( t . l v . f. f. 22, 23) is m o st remarkable for its color, which is o f a fine verdigris green,
especially towards the apices o f the frond, which are moreover considerably dilated, and th e whole
p la n t is o f a more delicate tex tu re th an is th e c ase in a . A fu rth e r difference may be observed in
th e midrib, which in y is frequently forked witliin the frond, and immediately below the apex.
I am aware th a t this peculiarity is occasionally seen in a , b u t it is so much more common in th e
■teruginose variety, as justly to entitle it to observation. With regard to the color o f y I o u g h t
to rema rk th a t it is sometimes, b u t n ot always, visible in a fresh state, Mr. T u rn e r and
Mr. Mackay having been directed to th e h a b ita t by this circumstance: whereas Mr LyeU
and Mr. T empleton bo th observe th a t it becomes ®ruginose a fte r having been kept for a length
o f tim e in a dried sta te . In all o th e r respects this ‘var. resembles « , and like it produces
ab undant innovations. By these it increases, b u t not by these alone, for copious terminal
c lu s te rs o f gemmce have been found upon this variety, first by Mr. L y e ll, and afterwards by
M r. Don and Miss Hutchins. In a gemmiferous state th e p re sent individual has a new and very
strik in g ch a ra c te r; for th e forked ram u li (f. f. 25. 29) have th e ir margins so much recurved as to
m ak e them appear almost cylindrical, and a t th e ir apices the gemmce are formed, and adhere,
th o u g h slightly, in clusters. These gemm® (f. 26) vary much in size, and n ot a little in fo rm ;
b u t they a ll agree in being o f th e same cellular stru c tu re as th e plant, and in this respect
resembling th e gemmce o f J . minutissima. At first they a re roundish o r' oi'ate, afterwards more
o blong, and when they fa ll from th e frond they may be seen to have marginal hairs. Although
I have n ot had the opportunity o f tra c in g them in a more progressive sta te , I think th e re cannot
b e a doubt th a t they are destined every one to form perfect plants. T he ir color is o f th e same
feruginose g re en as the frond.
m l