Page:The Botany of the Antarctic Voyage.djvu/190

168 Hab. Lord Auckland's group; at the roots of trees, ferns, &c., growing amongst other Hepatica and mosses.

Cæspites parvi, procuinbentes, argentei, inter muscos dispersi. Frondes rigidiusculæ, 2-3 lin. longæ, simplicius-culæ, gracillimæ, compressæ v. complanatæ, e cellulis majusculis hexagonis nemun vakdum ineludentibus formatæ, marginibus e cellulis irregulariter prominentibus sinuato-repandis, rarius hinc inde in lobos expansis, nervo centrali viridi valido. Rami pauci, patentes, simplices v. rarius furcati. Calyces pro magnitudine plantæ maximi, e nervo centrali ipso orti, breviter peclicellati, urceolati v. campanulati, laxe cellidosi, in lacinias plurimas magis articulatas minusve profunde fissi, basi squarois paucis (periehastio) muniti.

A very singular plant, closely allied to none in the Order Hepatica; it forms pale silvery patches at the roots of ferns, &c., in the woods, but has only been found fruiting in New Zealand, where, as in Tasmania also, it is probably abundant. In the specimens from Lord Auckland's group the fronds are hardly sinuated at the margins and often formed of only one or two series of cells surrounding the axis; in those from more Northern Latitudes other series of cells are superadded, the fronds are more compressed, and their margins so sinuated from the irregularly placed cells as to resemble the rudiments of leaves. Though the walls of the cells are exceedingly delicate, the whole plant is of a rigid texture, and very slowly recovers itself when moistened; this somewhat horny consistency of the frond, resembling some Serttulariæ, has suggested to us the generic name. The drawing was made before the fructification was observed, by Mr. Wilson, upon the New Zealand specimens.

Plate LXYI. Fig. VI. — 1, a small tuft of the natural size ; 2, a frond ; 3, a section of the same, very highly magnified.

2. HYGEOPLLA, Tayl.

1. Hygropila dilatata, Hook. fil. et Tayl. in Hook. Lond. Journ. of Bot. vol. iii. p. 576.

Hab. Lord Auckland's group ; on the ground in damp woods.

This is one of the numerous frondose Hepaticæ which cover the ground so abundantly in the humid regions of the South; they evidently belong to many species, but having never been found in fructification, it is exceedingly difficult to distinguish the species by the form and texture of then variable fronds, and still more to determine the genera to which they belong. The present, of which our specimens are but imperfect, seems identical with a very common New Zealand plant, which abounds in moist places, and especially near cataracts.

3. MAECHANTIA, March.

1. Marchaxtia polymorpha, L.

Hab. Lord Auckland's group and Campbell's Island; abundant.

A plant universally distributed throughout the Southern Hemisphere. 4. ANTHOCEEOS, Michel.

1. Anthoceros punctatus, L.?

Hab. Campbell's Island ; on the wet ground.

We are not assured of the identity of this plant with the European A. punctatus, L., the specimens being very imperfect.

Dubii generis.

Riccia cochleata, Hook. fil. et Tayl., in Hook. Lond. Journ. of Bot. vol. iv. p. 96. (Tab. LVI. Fig. V.)