likewise, opposes th e theory o f tlie same em in en t N a tu ra list. S trange , howe%-er, as it may apjiear,
those very o rg an s* (th e anthe rs o f Hedwig), which, in th e mosses, he considéra merely as
“ simples bourgeons semblables à ceux que l’on trouve dans quelques Liliacées, la B is to r te f ” &c.,
and as distin c t from th e essential organs of fe cunda tion; in th e Jun g e rm an n iæ he raises to th e
la n k of f ru it and capsules. T o these, he alludes, when he says “ J e donnerai sous peu à l’In s titu t
la preuve que les Junge i'mannc s o n t u n fm i t e t u ne capsule bien prononcée, e t différente de la
pe tite fleurette qui se divise en croix e t q ui co n tient u n e poussière adhérente à des fiîamens
irritable s î . ” P roceeding upon these gro u n d s; considering th e male fructification as th e female,
and th e female as th e male, he has formed, in his splendid work, the Flora o f Oware and Benin,
a new genus o f these .Tungermanniæ, called by Micheli “ Muscoides §,” to which he has applied
th e name Carpolepedium, and proposes th a t i t should comprehend, besides some new exotic species
and th e C. dicholomum o f his work, J . albicans. B ut, in th e cha ra c te r which he has given o f th e
g en u s, th e re is n o th in g to distinguish i t from all th e r e s t o f tlie “ Jungermannice fo liis bilobis, conduplicatis;'
except in th a t p a r t o f it, where he describes w h a t he calls th e capsule o r f ru it (our
a n th e r ) ; and this, he says, is “ ovatus a u t globosus, brevissimè pedunculatus, acumine parvo,
styliformi, acuminatus.'' This styliform jioint, however, has no existence in th e anthe rs o f any o f
th e British species o f his genus. W ith th e Carpolepedium dichotomum I am unacqmdnted. Iu its
foliage, a ccording to M. Beauvois’ figure, it b ears a considej-able resemblance to Jung,
asplenioides, whose anthe rs a re likewise d e s titu te o f any point.
T h e Dilienian p lan t, t . 7 3 . f. 3 6 . o f th e Hist. Muse. (J. varia L in n .) , differs in no re spe c t from
th e species represented a t t . 7 L f-20. o f th e same work fJ . albicans, L .), a lth o u g h every a u th o r
ha s followed Dillenius in ke ep in g th em d istinc t. N o r do any o f th e descriptions o f J . varia o f
subsequent Floras so ill accord with o u r p lan t, as to induce me to exclude th em from th e above
synonyms. T h a t o f Michaux, however, c an n o t be quoted w ith o u t a m a rk o f in te rro g a tio n , since
he says th a t th e divisions o f th e leaves a re o f an equal size.
Micheli’s figure and description ai’e extremely imperfect, and, a c cording to th e cha ra c te r th a t
is given o f th e leaves, seem ra th e r to belong to J . emarginala, th a n to albicans; b u t th e calyx is
widely different. Ro th , indeed, quotes th is figure to his J . compacta, a species, which, by means
o f auth en tic specimens, th a t I hai-e lately received from Dr, Swartz, I am enabled to say is
n o th in g more th a n J . resupinata o f this Monogi’aph. T o th a t p lan t, the re fore , th e foUowing
synonym may b e added; Jungermannia compacta, R o t h , Germ. i ii. p . 3 7 5 .
• I cannot here omit offering it as my opinion, that those who will give themselves the trouble of examining the
Hedwigian Anthers of the Jungermanniæ, such as are represented in the “ Theoria" upon J . asplenioides and J . pusilla,
and will compare their structure with that of the anthers in mosses, will be led to conclude, that, whatever doubts may
have arisen respecting the sexes of these parts, they are, nevertheless, destined in both to perform similar functions. In
each they are composed of an exterior, reticulated, and almost colorless membrane, which envelops an extremely minute,
granulated substance, and at length opens at the extremity for the discharge of these granules. In both, loo, they are
situated upon a footstalk. Their figure, in the mosses, is, for the mcBt part, oblong : an exception, however, offers itself
in the genus Sphagimm, where their ftirm is ovate or spherical, as in the Jungermanniæ. Nor are the anthers of these
plants of such rare occurrence or so difficult to be discovered, as the remarks o f M. Beauvois would lead us to suppose ;
since, by the communications of my friends and my own investigation, I am already in possession of the male
fructification of the greater number of the British species. For their detection, indeed, I must acknowledge that the
use of the microscope is often indispensable, and Botanists must calculate on meeting with disappointments in their
researches, who join M. Beauvois in observing “ que cc système microscopique, qui ne peut s’appliquer à toutes le*
mousses, a l’erreur pour base.”
f Prodrome des cinquième et sixième Familles de l’Ælhéogamie. p . H. J Flore (TOtvare el de Benin, p . 9. Note,
§ Containing J . pla typ h ylla , J . Tamarisci, and J . dilatata.
R E F E R E N C E S T O T H E P L A T E .
1. Maie plants o f J . albicans, natural size.
2. Female p lanis, natural size,
3. Sterile plants, natural size.
4. fi o f J . albicans, natural size.
5. fi magnified. ............................................................................................................................. 6
6. E xtremity o f a male p la n t, having young shoots .................................................... 6
"I Leaves ..........................................; ..................................................................................... 4
8. J
9. L e a f with the upper lobe, or lobule, expanded lo shew ike nerve ....................... 4
10. Perigonial l e a f ........................................................................................................................ 4
11. Young anthers ......................................................................................................................... 1
12. A n old anther ........................................................................... 1
13. Female p lant ........................................................................................................................ 6
14. Calyx, longitudinally dissected ...................................................................................... 5
1 5 . In le r io T v iew o f a p e r ic h æ tia l l e a f .......................................................................................... 4
16. Exterior view o f a perichælial L e a f .................................................................................. 4
17. Calyptra and barren p istilla ............................................................................................ 3
IS. Barren p istilla ........................................................................................................................ 2
19. Barren pistillum .................................................................................................................... I
2 0 . Seeds and spiral.filumenis ................................................................................................ I