T h e reticulation (f. 7-) is k r g e in p roportion to th e size o f th e leaf, and formed by
cellules o f a somewhat rounded figure, which a re opaque in tlie c entre . T h e color of
th e leaves, when th e p lan t grows in th e shady crevices o f rocks, is generally a dii'ty
g re en approaching to olive, b u t when i t is in a m ore exposed situation, i t is a pale
silvery white , which u n d e r th e microscope seems to be caused by an extremely m inute
granula ted substance, probably an exudation from th e leaves. Tliis color and appearance
are pavticulaily prevalent in w e t spongy places, and my var. /3 (f. i5 ) possesses th em
in a very s trik in g degree.
Tlic pericheetial leaves (f. f. 8, 8) surround th e calyx for nearly a th ird o f its h e ig h t; th e
exte rior ones differ from those o f th e stem only in b e in g la rg e r and somewhat plicated:
th e in te rio r a re quad rip a rtite , much resembling th e stein-leaves o f J . setiformis.
M a le F a uC T iF tC A rioN I h a v e n o t s e e n .
F em a l e F r u c t if ic a t io n te rm in a l upon th e stems and branches.
Calyx (f. 9) oblong, longitudinally plicated in th e up p e r p a rt, and toothed o r lacerated
a t th e m a rg in , where i t is white and diaphanous, while th e re s t is o f a d iity brown
o r olive color ; th e whole compai-atively o f a rigid tex tu re , ma rked th ro u g h o u t w ith
small oblong reticulations (f. 10).
Calyptra (f. 14) ovate, th in , o f a d irty white color, re ticula ted, tipped with a m inute
style, and be a ring ne a r its base two o r th re e abortive p is tilla : th e base its e lf is firmly
u n ite d to th e lower p a r t o f th e calyx, and n o t separable from it.
Peduncle scarcely a q u a rte r o f a n inch in len g th , white , suc culent, longitudinally and
ti-ansvei-sely striated.
Capsule (f. 9) globose, o f a shining brownish black, opening in to four equal, m’a te valves
(f. f. 1 1 , 12) , wliich, a fte r th e discharge o f th e seeds, become revolute, some o f th e
filaments s till rema ining a tta ched to th e centre.
Seeds and spiral filaments {f. 13) reddish b rown, th e former spherical and sm ooth; th e la tte r
sh o rt in proportion to th e ir width, an d formed o f a double helix.
Far, jS (f. 15) grows to th e h e ig h t o f nearly two inches, and has its stem and branches
slende r in proportion to th e ir len g th , be a rin g also more distantly-placed, smaller and
less-appressed leaves th a n a . T h e sili'ery hue is, as I have before mentioned, very
.striking in this variety.
J . jnlacea, which is a ltoge the r a n alpine species and a p lan t o f un freq u en t occurrence, is, by
its size, its mode o f grow th , and its color, leadily distinguishable from every o th e r, except
indeed from J . concinnata, to which in all the se p articulars it is very nearly allied. Fi'om th is
i t diffei'S, as well in th e shape o f th e leaves, as in th e ir disposition, they hav in g th e appearance
o f b e ing imbricated on all sides, th o u g h in re a lity th ey a re quadrifarious, whence arises a
quadrangula r form in th e stems and branches. These shoots too a re o f an equal thickness
thro u g h o u t, inste ad o f b e ing o .id cn tly IncrMsatcd towards th e extremitie s, and th e calyces are
large in proportion to th e si/.e o f I lie p la n t; whereas I have never been able, in th e specimens
I have examined o f J . eondnnala, to satisfy myself o f the. a c tua l existence o f any calyx a t aU.
T ruly, however, an d essentially as these two species ore d istinc t, they have been confounded by
th e older w rite rs, and. indeed, appear to have been so by almost every a u th o r p rio r to th e time
o f L ig h tfo o t; so th a t 1 da re n ot ven tu re to apeak w ith c e rta inty o f th e gre a te r p a r t o f th e
above synonyms. T h a t o f Dillenius. indeed, admits o f no doubt, and his figures are excellent.
T h e similarity to Prynm a rg tn lm m , however, which ho dwells u pon, and which has given b irth
to th e name * of th e species before u s. a rising from its color and from its concave closcly-
appressed leaves, is more applicable to J . concinnata. Linnaius' p lant, .judging from his descriptio
n , as well as from th e specimens in his h e rba rium, is th e same as ours. Webe r seems ra th e r
to rrf e r to J . concinnata, when he says i t has leaves ■' Ha appressa, u t vix ne lentc quidem
d istingui possint, (quh n o t! ah omnibus facilb d is tin g u itu r); ” and th a t th e snrcuH are. when
m oist, “ te ti! virides. splendcnte s," b u t in a dry s ta te » argenteo splendore donati, omninb u ti
Prynm argentturn " Y e t in anothe r passage he rema rks, ■■ Setas non vidi, ve rum surculos versus
apices incrassatos, te rm in a to s calyculis memhranaceia. pellucidis. parvis granulis rep le tis ," which
can only be said o f J . jnlacea, J . concinnaia b e in g d c stitn tc o f calyces. Hud.son has done no
m ore th an copied th e words o f Linnseus. L ightfoot has well distinguished th e tw o ; and we
a te indebted to him for first describing J . concinnata. The figure in th e Flora Danica, quoted
by W ithe ring, does n o t rep re s en t o u r p la n t, though th e description o t this la tte r a u th o r may
be intended for i t , as th a t o f Haller certainly is.
Othe r w rite rs, besides those above mentioned, have introduced in th e ir works .J. jnlacea:
b u t these in my opinion all mean J . concinnata. Among them are Doctor Ro th an d E h rh a rt,
th e la tte r of whom in p a rticu la r says th e leaves o f J . julacea are bifarious f , which is
undoubtedly th e case with J . concinnata, b u t n o t w ith this. T h e ir exact s itua tion, however,
is n o t easily determinable o n so diminutive a p la n t; nor was i t till a fte r a careful investigation
th a t I was able to satisfy myself th a t th ey were placed in fours.
Mr. Sowerby, in his otherwise excellent figure in English Botany, has repre sented th e leaves
as undivided, which is never th e case ih th e p la n t ; although, owing to th e deepness o f the
cleft and th e b rittlen e ss o t th e tex tu re , i t is more easy to separate h a lf a le a f from th e stem
th a n a whole one.
* Bryum argcnteum was called by Dillenius “ Bryum pendulum julaccum, argenteum et senccum.
t Ehrhart even goes farther, and says, that all the Jungermannia:/oliosce have bifarious leaves, in which he is
unquestionably mistaken. T-iis words are, “ Die Jungermajinia julacea L. hat, so wie alle mir bekannten wahren
Jungermanniæ foliosæ, folia bifaria, weil solche aber etwas klein und angedrückt sind, so fällt solches hier weniger,
als bei ändern Arten, in die Augen, kann aber dennoch recht gut gesehen werden.” Dcitr. Band. 3, p. 80.
REFEREN’CE,S