Calyplra (f. 10) ovate, membranaceous, re ticula ted, tipped w ith a short hollow style.
Pedtmcle a q u a rte r or ha lf an inch long, w h ite , striated.
Capsule (f. f. 6. 11) ovate, broad, approaching to round, o f a deep brown color, furrowed
both longitudinally and transversely.
Seeds and spiral filaments (f. 12) chocolate colored ; th e former spherical, the la tte r composed
o f a double helix.
Obs. The tex tu re o f th e leaves in J . hyalina is exactly similar to th a t in J . cordi/oUa, and their
position and h ab it often be a r g re a t resemblance to those o f th a t p la n t, b u t the ir figure never
approaches to cordate. In g ene ra l shape and position, th ey are by fa r more like th e leaves of
J . scalaris, as ivell in its plane as waved state ; b u t in th e ir tex tu re n o th in g can be more different.
T h e f ru it is, strictly spe aking, te rm ina l, as in / . pumila, a ne a r, th o u g h diminutive, relation
o f our p lant, as th e bend in the stem, whenever th e f ru it appears lateral, indicates th a t it is
seated between an older and a younger slioot ; b u t calyces so placed, and also terminal ones, are
observable nearly o f the same age on th e same plant. Lyell's M. S.
T o the above excellent cha ra c te r and description o f J . h yalina, for botii o f which I am indebted
to my friend, Mr. Lyeli, by whom they were made from fresh specimens, it is needless for me to
add any th in g , except iny hearty concurrence in his opinion, th a t th e p lan t is decidedly distinct
from the species ju s t mentioned, as well as from every o th e r in the genus.
R E F E R E N C E S T O T H E P L A T E .
1 . Male plant, natural size.
2. Female plants, natural size.
3. Male p la n t, magnified............................................................................................................... 6
4. A n th e r ............................................................................................................................................. 1
5. 6. 7. Female plants, magnified................................................................................................ 6
8. Leaves............................................................................................................................................... 4
9, Calyx, with p e rich stia l l e a f . . . . ..................................................................................... 3
10. Calyptra........................................................................................................................................... 2
1 1 . Capsule, not ye t o p e n ................................................................................................................ 5
12. Seeds and spiral f ilam e n ts ...................................................................................................... I
When found in a s ta te o f fructification, th e re a rc , perhaps, few individuals o f th e genus th a t
may be so readily distinguished as th e present ; its exserted corolla, and its trunc a te and bilabiate
calyx, affording characters no less decisive th an remarkable. The leaves, also, seem very constantly
to re ta in th e ir subquadrate fo rm ; and, though they may in some instances be as much emarginate
as those o f J . heterophylla, yet s till their general figure, and th e ir being so much more frequently
entire, furnish sufficient m a rk s o f discrimination. In addition to this, it may be further
•remarked, th a t th e stipules, which in J . heterophylla are much laciniated, a re in J . polyanthos
always entire.
T h e Michelian figure above referred to is a tolerably accurate represention of our plant,
indeed much more so, as i t appears to me, th an th a t cited by Dillenius (t. 5. f. 5 ), which I have
consequently omitted. T h e author la st mentioned, i f I may be allowed to ju d g e from his own
specimens, has described this species no less than th re e separate times in his Species Muscorum. Of
th e se , his t . 69. f, 7. has always, th o u g h incorrectly, been regarded as J . viticulosa. The f i p r e
of V a illant, bad as it is, bears a g re a te r resemblance to the p lan t in question, than to J . asplenioides.
•under which species it has, in th e writings of most Cryptogamists, found a place. Weis and Pollich,
an d even Linnæus himself, have been s ingula rly unsuccessful in the ir description of this species;
n o r does th e fructification appear to be any where described with accuracy, till Schmidel published
his valuable “ Dissertationes," whence R o th seems to have drawn his characters. Schrader’s
J .pallescens, specimens o f which have been communicated by th e author himself to Mr, T urne r,
proves to be in no respect different from J . polyanthos.
R E F E R E N C E S T O T H E P L A T E .
1. J . polyanthos, male and female , natural size.
2. The same, magnified...................................................................................... ................_’ • • •
3 . Portion o f the stem with its leaves, seen fr om beneath, in order to shew its "I
stipule s............................................................................................................................
L e a f ..
5. S t ip u l e ...................................................
6. Perigonial leaf, ivith its Anthers .
7. 8. A n th e r s ..............................................
9 , Calyx and co ro lla ..............................
10. C a ly x ......................................................
U . Seeds and spiral filam en ls...............