Leaves gi-owing in a lte rn a te clusters, each a t a small distance from th e othe r, so th a t
th e surculus is eveiy where visible : these clustei-s * are composed o f two o r more,
frequently th re e , b u t occasionally o f five, and proceed from every side o f th e p lant,
paiticulai'ly n e a r th e apices, where th ey fo n n tu f ts or pencils (f. 3) ; b u t, when th e
p la n t is closely a tta ched to th e gro u n d , th e u n d e r side is b a re o f leaves, and, in such
case, those which origina te from th e o th e r p a rts o f th e surculus have a secund appearance
: th e whole a re e re c to -p a ten t, setaceous, s tra ig h t, scarcely th e e ig h th o f a line
long, o f a yellowish-green t color, paler when dry, generally simple, b u t occasionally
forked, or even branched (f. f, 5. 5 ), which is more particula rly th e case w ith those
wliich form th e te rm in a l tu f ts : all o f th em a re divided tliro u g h o u t th e ir whole
len g th w ith transverse dissepiments, fo rm in g jo in ts , which a re a little longe r th a n
th ey a re broad, and perfectly cylindrical ; when dry th ey a re frequently alte rna te ly
contra c ted, in th e same man n e r as th e jo in ts o f Conferva capillaris o f R o th and
Conf. diffusa, and th e coloring m a tte r e ith e r contracts in to a da rk g re en globule, in
tlie c entre o f th e jo in t, o r is confined to th e borders o f th e dissepiments, a t the
same tim e th a t th e o th e r pa rts o f th e le a f a re quite pellucid.
O f th e perichætial leaves (f. 6) , th e ex te rn a l are similar to those ju s t described, th e
in te rn a l nearly ovate, en tire a t th e base and for a b o u t a th ird o f theii- len g th , thenee
cu t in to many branched capillary segments of various lengths.
M a l e F r u c t if ic a t io n s i t u a te d i n th e a x illæ o f th o s e le a v e s w h ic h are c o lle c te d i n to a t u f t a t
th e e x t r e m i t i e s o f th e r am u l i ( f. 3 ).
Anthers (f. 7 ) exceedingly m in u te , spherical, o f a n olive-green color, externally marked
with re ticula tions ; w ith in conta in in g a fine powdeiy mass, which gives th e color to
th e othei-wise tra n sp a re n t pe llic le ; they a re supported upo n a wliite, extremely
delicate and pellucid, cylincli'ical filament, o f nearly th e len g th o f th e globule.
F em a l e F r u c t if ic a t io n te rm in a l .
Calyx (f. 8) elliptical, inc lin in g to obovate, a b o u t a h a lf a line lo n g , plicated, contra
c te d a t th e m o u th , whe re i t is frin g ed w ith sh o rt cüia , which a re sometimes
bifid : its color is paler th a n th a t o f th e leaves, and more inc lining to yellow ; i t is
somewhat tra n sp a re n t, and its whole substance a tissue o f small, oblong, compact
cellules.
Calyptra ovate, very th in and delicate, re ticula ted, nearly w hite , tip p ed w ith a sh o rt
style. Abortive pistilla lincari-Ianceolate.
Peduncle ab o u t a q u a rte r o f an inch long, pellucid, wliite, cellulose.
Capsule a t first ovate, in m a tu rity sp littin g in to four equal, lanceolate segments, o f a
dark reddish-brown color, longitudinally and ti'ansversely furrowed.
» Schmidel says th a t the leaves are not always regularly clustered, for that
occasionally to be fo u n d ; and Roth goes farther, and observes of the plant, that,
solitariis. ” Of these I have seen no instances.
an intermediate single one is
“ variat foliis, licet raiissimè,
t Dr. Roth describes a variety sent him by Trentepohl of a dark-green color.
F em a l e F r u c t if ic a t io n always te rm in a l upon short ramuli.
Calyx (f. f. 8. 9. 10) thre e -fo u rth s o f a line long, obovate, smooth, plane on its upper
sui-face, below pro je c tin g with a b lu n t longitudinal ridge or a n g le : th e mouth is
formed by a long and a cu te tu b u la r p o in t, which divides into four equal segments
for th e escape o f th e capsule.
Calyptra (f. 11) obovate, o r ra tlie r pyriform, yellowish-wliitc, subearnose, reticula ted,
tipped with a long style ((. 12) , longitudinally and transversely s tria te d ; a t th e apex*
a little dilated.
Feduxicle p ro je c tin g a ve iy sh o rt way beyond th e calyx, w hite , suc culent, vasculose.
Capsule (f. f. 9- 10) exactly spherical, of a jialc reddish-brown o r fulvous color, longitudina
lly furrowed. I t divides in to four equal, acute , ovate valves. W ithin, a t the
base, is seen th e orbicula r, semipellucid, greyish extrem ity o f th e footstalk, aixrund
which and upon its m a rg in th e valves appear to be situa ted.
Seeds and spiral filaments numerous, fu lv o u s ; th e former (f. 14) a re spherical, m inute ,
tu b e rc u la te d ; th e la tte r (f. 13) composed o f a single helix, enveloped in a tran sp a ren t
tu b e , as is th e case in J . d ilatata and J . Hntchinsia:.
J . Tamarisci is by no means so common a species as th e one la s t described. I t inhabits
more exposed s itua tions, an d is g ene ra lly found on th e g ro u n d , on low bushes, and rocks,
most plentiful in heathy and sub-alpine d is tric ts ; where i t foims la rge s trag g lin g patches,
conspicuous from th e ir deep reddish-brown or purple color, which, howeiær, it may be
remarked, varies to a gre en in shady situa tions ; an d th e whole o f th e un d e r side o f th e p lan t, ,
b u t more especially th e auricles and stipules, are generally o f a yellowish or brownish-green.
Under th e description o f J . dilatata I have mentioned th e characters wliich will most
readily help to distinguish th e two species : to th e se I may add, th a t th e p re sen t p lan t has a
more p in na ted ramification, and th a t its calyx is entirely d e s titu te o f tubercles. The fertile
branches are always shor't; th e perichætial leaves a cu te , strongly s e rra ted , and, even before th e
appearance o f th e calyx, in those ram u li which are destined to produce it , this peculiarity is
evident : in this s ta te , however, th e auiicles do n o t seem to be so much laciniated (see f. f. 6. 6).
Roth is th e firat person who has rem a ik ed th is c ircumstance, and i t is from his having done
so, as well as from his description o f th e stijnile , th a t I have been induced to refer his J . dilatata
to my Tamarisci. Unde r th e name o f J . tamariscifolia he seems to have described dilatata.
Lamarck, in th e Flore Française, says th a t this species has “ L a g a in e cylindrique, composée de
feuilles dentelées," which is by no means th e c a se ; nor have I ever seen th e capsule, as he
obsei-ves, elsewhere, “ d’ u n no ir lu is an t.”
Dillenius has well distinguished th e h ab it o f this species. “ Tenuiores ae lo n g io re s ,” are
his words, “ ac Lichenastrum imbricatum minus, squamis convexo-concavis ( J . d ilatata) liabet
surculos, Tamarisci Narbonensis non absimiles, magis ramosos e t magis liberas, a corticibus e t
saxis, quibus adna sc itur, abscedentes, e t plcnimquc péndulos, pluribus sibi incumbentibus,
colore in junio rib u s e t non florcntibus plantis obscure viridi, in florcntibus u t plu rim um siibfusco,
rubiginoso, e t a tro -ru b en tc ." I hai'c n o t observed, howei'er, th a t th e difference in color arises
from th e age o f th e p lan t, o r th a t i t depends upon its b a rre n o r fe rtile state.