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 334 ON LYELLIA, LEPTOSTOMUM,

planiusculo, persistente ; limbo latiusculo crassiore castaneo ; disco pallido leviter depresso ; ipso centro eirculari piano, crassiusculo, fusco, a disco pallido mox separante, arete emu columella cohaerenti, eaque demum abbreviata intra cavita- tern retracto.

Membrana interior (s. Theca vera) approximata exteriori, quacum processubus numerosis vasculiformibus connexa, ore coarctato, spongioso-membranaceo, collum breve colu- mellas arete amplexante, superficie interiore alte corrugata.

Columella incapsulamatura majuscula, subovalis,lacunosa, rugis elevatis applicitis et forsan connexis plicis responden- tibus membranse interioris.

Semina minutissima, in enmulo viridia, separatim hyalina, laevia.

Lyellia crispa was lately discovered in Nepaul (probably in the vicinity of Kathmandu,) by the botanical collectors sent from the Company's garden at Calcutta, by Dr. Nathaniel Wallich, the worthy successor of Dr. Roxburgh in that establishment.

The specimens here described were received from Dr. Wallich by Sir Joseph Banks ; and I have also seen others sent at the same time to Mr. Lambert, part of which he very liberally communicated.

664] The whole number of capsules examined does not exceed twenty-five ; but as all of these were ripe and of uniform appearance and structure, they will probably be considered sufficient for the establishment of the genus.

To complete the description of Lyellia, male flowers, which, however, probably resemble those of Folytrichum and Baiosonia, are still wanting ; and although there is no reason to doubt that the calyptra and operculum, both of which I have ventured to describe from fallen specimens, really belong to this species, yet it would be more satisfac- tory to find them while still attached to the capsule ; for in this state only the form of the operculum and its probable central connection with the orbicular disk of the peris tomium can be absolutely determined. It will be necessary also to examine a greater number of specimens, and perhaps in

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