Pi,AN-T g row 'iiig ill la j'g e t u f t s , lo o s e ly a tta c l ic d t o t h e s o il b y m e a n s o f t h e f ib ro u s r o o ts ,
iv h ic li p ro c e e d f rom e v e ry p a r t o f th e s u r c u l i, b u t e sp e c ia lly to w a rd s th e i r b a s e .
Surculi filiform, flexuose, an inch ov a n inch and a h a lf lo n g , divided in a somewhat
s te lla ted manne r, so th a t th e branches fo r th e most p a i l u n ite in th e c en tre o f th e
j)lant ; they, however, occasionally tiu'ow o u t otlier short, sc a tte red, p a te n t ram u li :
all ai'e o f a pale gi'een color and semipellucid, th e substance delicate, suc culent and
conijiosed o f la rg e oblong cellules.
Leaves ( f- 3 ) ra th e r d is tantly placed, p a ten t, o r sometimes e rect, scai’cely a q u a rte r
o f a line in le n g th , oblongo-quadra te , divided for ra th e r m ore th a n one th ird o f th e
ivay from th e extrem ity , by a n a cu te sinus, in to tw o lanceolate a cu te and equal
segments, wliich a re now and th e n a little incurved, and I have in a few instances
obsci-ved th em to be recuiwed: th e color exactly resembles th a t o f th e stem , a ,p a le
]icUucid gre en ; th e cellules are more approaching to ro u n d , forming a la rg e and
e leg an t reticulation, th e ir sui'face is slightly convex.
T h e pericheetial Leaves (f. f. 4. 4) a re nume rous, and surro u n d th e base o f th e calyx,
gTowing closely imbricated. T h e interior a re th e la rg e s t, and generally divided into
two a cu te segments ; th e exterior a re frequently trifid, an d have th e ir points n ot
uncommonly recui-ved : th ey a re o f a pale w liitish -g re en color.
M ale F r u c t if ic a t io n a t p r e s e n t u n k n o w n .
F em a l e F r u c t if ic a t io n a ris in g from th e base o f th e sm-culi, whe re th e radicles a re th e most
numerous.
Calyx (f. 5) situ a ted upon a sh o rt prope r footstalk, which is covered by th e perichætial
leaves, a line o r a line a n d a lia lf long, oblong, scarcely a t a ll in c lin in g to oi-ate,
n early w h ite , scariose, longitudina lly plic a te ; th e mouth irreg u la rly d en ta ted : i t is
e legantly re ticula ted, and has ovate areolæ. These calyces rem a in lo n g a fte r th e
decay o f th e capsule a n d footstalk, and th e n become tin g e d w ith brown.
Calyptra ovate, a th in , delicate, w hitish, re ticu la ted mem brane , tip p ed w ith a sh o rt
style, h av in g a t th e base numerous lineari-lanceolate, barren pistilla (f. 7 ) , which
I have seen accompanied by w h a t appears to be an abortive ge rm en ( f 6) , ovate,
w ith a co ntra c ted base and a n acumina ted p o in t, th ro u g h o u t o f a n olive-brown color.
Peduncle th re e q u a rte rs o f a n inch in le n g th , o r sometimes more, white, cellulose,
te rm in a te d b y th e
Capsule ( f 8) which is ohlongo-ovate, deep brown, longitudina lly a n d transversely
furrowed.—Shortly a f te r th e peduncle has reached its g re a te s t h e ig h t th e fo u r valves
o f th e capsule s epa ra te , and th e numerous roundish
Seeds a re discharged, to g e th e r w ith many o f th e double spiral filamenls (f. 9) ; some
o f these, indeed, rem a in a tta ch ed to th e m a rg in o f th e lanceolate valves in a
p e c tin a ted form, p o in tin g , however, obliquely a n d fo rm in g a n a cu te angle w ith the
valve (v. f. 2) : th u s they continue till th e m a rg in s o f th e valves become involute ,
which soon take s ¡»lace, i f th e atmosphe re is dry. B o th seeds and sp ira l filaments a re o f
a reddish-brown o r chocolate color. In th e w in te r season (o r in th e a u tum n , more
frequently, ac co rd in g to Schmidel), th e ends o f th e surculi o f many o f th e sterile
plants become e re c t, h aving leaves ve ry d istan tly placed, especially towa rds th e
R E F E R E N C E S T O T H E P L A T E .
1. J . incìsa, natural size.
2 . Barren p la n t o f the same, ma g n ified ...................................................................... 6
3 . Female p la n t ...................................................................................................................... G
4. Portion o f stem and le a v e s ......................................................................................... 4
A*. D itto ............. 3
5. Single l e a f ....................................................................................................... 3
6. Lower l e a f ............................................................................................................................ 3
7 . 7 . Perichcttial leaves ......................................................................................................... 3
8. Longitudinal section o f a c a l y x ................................................................................ 3
9. Barren p i s t i l la ...................................................................................................................... 1
10. Pla n t with the gemmce................................................................................................... Q
1 1 . A lea f with gemmoe ........................................................................................................ 3
12. Gemma: in their most perfect state, before dispersion, collected into a l
spherical m a s s ...........................................................................................................J
13. Gemmce when dispersed ................................................................................................... 1