CRYPTOGAMIA Hepatic#.
Gen. Char. Male flowers sessile. Anthers stalked.
Capsule on a stalk, rising from a sheath, of 4 valves.
Seeds attached to elastic filaments.
Spec. Char. Creeping, irregularly pinnate. Leaves
spreading in two rows, unequally two-lobed, almost
orbicular; side-lobe minute, involute. Scales
rounded, undivided. Sheaths terminal, inversely
heartshaped, with three angles, and a close toothed
mouth.
Syn. Jungermannia Mackaii. Hooker Brit. Jung,
t. 53.
( j ATHERED near Bantry by Miss Hutchins. Mr. Hooker
received it first from Mr. J. T. Mackay of Dublin, to whom the
name is justly appropriated. The plant however is not peculiar
to Ireland, but abounds in Devonshire and Somersetshire, in
rocky heathy places. The capsules are found by Miss Hutching
in November.
The allies, and frequent companions, of this species are J. di-
lalata, t. 1086, tamariscina, t. 2481, serpyllifolia, t. 2537,
and most of all, as to habit perhaps, the common complanata,
t. 2499. The colour is a dull dirty green. Leaves nearly orbicular;
their side-lobe small and involute ; their scales also orbicular,
or slightly emarginate. The sheaths are remarkable for
their broad compressed shape, and their contracted, slightly
prominent, toothed orifice. The fruitstalk scarcely extends beyond
the sheath. Capsule of four pale spreading valves, to which
the spiral filaments, inclosed in tubes, are attached, like those
inf. 2537.