lar processes, disposed in radii towards the extremity of the
frond, which is somewhat emarginate. In the Aberffraw
specimens the lamellae are much broader and more crowded
than they are shown in our figure. The colour is light
green, and the texture rather flaccid, except the thick midrib,
which is often lengthened out at the base of the frond,
and denuded so as to resemble a stipes. As in J. hibernica,
the midrib is covered underneath with numerous simply
fibrous roots. Anthers yellowish, sessile, clustered together
between the crowded and interlaced lamellae upon the
midrib. Sometimes these lamellae assume the appearance
of toothed scales, resembling those of J. hibernica, but not
different in colour from the rest of the frond. Calyx widened
at the mouth, very broad in proportion to its length,
in an early stage especially, strongly toothed, and the sides
ribbed or lamellated. Calyptra concealed within the calyx.
Capsule round, rather large, olive-brown, on a peduncle
from one to two inches long, irregularly opening into several
divisions, with some obscure traces of the valvular dehiscence
proper to the genus; the texture tessellated. Seeds
or sporules round, brown, somewhat angular, rather large,
the dark nucleus surrounded by a transparent, beautifully
reticulated membrane; in an early stage clustered four
together. Spiral filaments composed of a double or triple
helix in a membranous, pellucid tube, very often forked, as
shown in our figure.
J. Ralfsii is distinguished from J. hibernica by its pale
green colour, lamellated fronds, spherical capsule and reticulated
seeds. A remarkable difference also exists in the
structure of the spiral filaments. The areolae of the frond
are larger.—W. W.