th e ir figure is ovate, concave, o r m th e r conduplicate, a t th e extrem ity ve iy acute , and,
wliat ma rks th e species so decisii-cly, furnished in th e middle o f th e u p p e r m a rg in with
a stro n g and sh a rp tooth, p o in tin g a little ujiwards in a direction oblique w ith reg a rd to
th e apex o f th e leaf. I f Schi-ader be co irc c t in liis species, which I liave g re a t reason,
however, to doubt, he finds th e leaves to be generally unequally trid e n ta te ; while
Schmidel, Mr. F rancis, a nd myself, have obsei-ved th em to be a lmost constantly b identa te ,
(provided th e sharp apex may be allowed th e appellation o f a to o th ,) tlio u g h occasionally
th e lower ones, as may be seen in f. 2 , o f th e pla te , are trid e n ta te . T h e texture of
th e leaves is particu la rly firm ; th e cellules very small and numerous, req u irin g a good
magnifier to d istinguish th e re ticu la ted appearance formed hy th e ir interatices ; b u t with
th e h ig h e st power o f th e lens th e cellules ivill be seen to be o f a very irre g u la r figure,
and disposed th ro u g h o u t th e substance o f th e le a f w ith o u t any so rt o f order (f. 6). The
color o f th e leai-es is a pale g re en , very m uch approa ching to yellow.
.Male F r u c t if ic a t io n u n k n o w n .
F em a l e F r u c t if ic a t io n (according to Schi.iidel, who alone has published an a c count o f it, or
ei-en seen i t) te rm in a l, an d produced (in Germany) in abundance in tlie monüis o f May and
Ju n e , i f th e we a th e r should prove m o is t; neve r on those p lan ts which be a r th e powdery
globules, b u t upo n such older individuals alone as a re fa st approa ching to a s ta te o f decay.
T he calyx is described to be o f a n ovato-oblong figure, c u t a t th e m o u th in to four obtuse te e th
o r lobes, and surrounded a t th e base by th re e o r fo u r pairs o f unequally bifid an d closely
im b ric a ted le ave s; th e calyptra ovate, tip p ed w ith a r a th e r th ic k vesicular stigma-, th e
peduncle w hite , pellucid, cellulose, about th re e times as lo n g as th e calyx ; th e capsule
roundish, approa ching to ovate, b u rs tin g in to four lig u la te valves, th a t a re obtuse a t th e ir
ex trem itie s ; th e spiral filaments very elastic, composed o f a double helix, o f a lufo-fuscous
co lo r; th e seeds extremely nume rous, m in u te , and o f a pa le r h ue th a n th e filaments.
T h e Gemmæ (f. 3) o f th is species a re very a b u n d a n t and peculiarly conspicuous, no less
from th e ir deep orange color, th a n from th e ir s itua tion. In th e m onths o f .December
and J an u a ry they make th e ir appearance, collected to g e th e r in small spherical masses
( f f. 3. 7) a b o u t th e t e n th o f a line in d iameter, occupying th e ex trem e points o f e ight
o r te n o r more o f th e te rm in a l leaves. T h e m in u te pa rtic le s o r gemmæ o f which the se
balls a re composed, a re in th e ir m o st pe rfe c t s ta te closely u n ited , h u t on p u ttin g them
in to w a te r a ve iy s lig h t pre ssure is sufficient to cause th em to separate, and a num b e r
o f pellucid an g u la r reddish bodies ( f 8) a re observable floating in th e liquid. In
Februa ry, indeed, these pa rtic le s disunite o f themselves, and He sc a tte red over th e leaves
an d stems o f th e p lan t in considerable qu an tity , having much th e appearance o f th e
fa rin a o f some phænogamous plants.
Tliis s ingula r species o f Jun g e rm an n ia seems to be confined to th e two most eastern
counties in th e k in g d om ; a t least I hai-e never he a rd o f its b e in g found in any o th e r plaee.s,
excepting, indeed, very lately n e a r B antry, by Miss Hutchins, o f Avhom it may almost ivitli
t ru th be said, th a t she finds every th in g . I t affects elevated and exposed s itua tions, and is
m o s t. frequently m e t w ith on those he a thy soils which a re n o t for rcmo\®d from tlie sea.
My friend, Mr. F rancis, has long know n i t as an in h ab itan t o f his neighborhood, and ha?
preserved a d rawing and desc ription o f i t in his manusc ripts, u n d e r tlie name o f J . acuta.
Schmidel discovered i t a b o u t B a reu th and E rlan g en , in I '5 8 ; b u t, th o u g h he has given an
a c cura te figure and e laborate h istory o f th e baiTen s ta te o f th e species, I cannot feel satisfied
th a t his rep re sen ta tio n o f th e fe rtile p la n t belongs to th e s am e ; th e d raw ing its e lf o f th a t pa rt
b e in g unsa tisfa c toiy. This suspicion, however, has n o t k e p t me from tran s la tin g in my
description wh a t he says o f th e fru it. T h a t he should have fallen into a n e rro r o f this kind,
supposing him really to have done so, is th e less remarkable, when i t is recollected th a t he finds
th e fiu c tific a tion n o t upon young, healthy, an d vigorous p lants, “ sed in vetustis e t pcnb
em o rtu is ," so tlia t I am very much disposed to th in k th a t lie may, like Dr. Roth, have
confounded J . exsecta and J . excisa to g e th e r. Of th e Hallcrian synonym, I am by no means
c e rta in ; th e description in some respects is a t l ariance with o u r p lan t, y e t I am still disposed to
th in k th a t this is w h a t th e a u th o r really intended, from his spe aking o f th e extrem ity o f th e
leaves, as “ i-ubem m um quasi fragum ferens.” T h e g re a te r num b e r o f synonyms, too, th a t
a re cited by Schmidel, have been he re omitted, because i t appeai-s to me th a t they ill accord with
th e ch aracters o f Jungermannia exsecta, which, i f really pe rm anent, as I hai'e every reason to hope
th ey are, a re so s trik in g , and so dissimilar to those o f eveiy o th e r species o f th e genus, th a t I
feel i t would be q u ite needless to say any th in g more re sp e c tin g them,
R E F E R E N C E S T O T H E P L A T E .
FIG.
] . J . exsecta, natural size.
2. Barren p la n t, magnified ...................................................................................................... o
3. Globuliferous p l a n t .................................................................................................................... q
4. Portion o f the stem and le a v e s ............................................................................................ 4
5. L e a f ................................................................................................................................................. 3
6. Apex o f a l e a f ............................................................................................................................. 1
7- Cluster o f GemmtE ................................................................................................................... 3
8, Gemmce ................................................................... . i