The English flora - SeaweedAfrica

Marchantia.] HEPATICiE. 105
ber of equally dark brown seeds and spiral filaments, as in M. polymorpha.
Gemmiferous scyphi crescent-shaped, as in the genus Lumdaria of Micheli.
Mr. Francis sends me from Edgefield, Norfolk, specimens with female
fructification only, which differ from the common appearance of the plant
just described, by the more compactly cellular nature of the frond, so
that the areolae are not visible in a dry state.
A second var., as I presume it to be, has been communicated by Mr.
Borrer, from Sussex, with the fronds more elongated, their margins
beautifully crenate, and, like the underside of a deep purple ; the cellules
and pores less distinct than even in the last-mentioned var.; upon it I find
the pedunculated male receptacles, and, lying among the specimens, but
not attached to them, is a single female receptacle, apparently belonging
to them, and having all the characters of that of M. hemisphecrica. Still
a third appearance of this species, is found growing abundantly on a bank,
intermixed with Targionia hypophylla, in the New Forest, Hants, by Mr.
Lyell. In this, likewise, the specimens have the fronds of a compact
nature, their underside and margin of a deep purple, the upper surface,
sometimes, especially in the dry state, apparently as destitute of areola?
as in the 2d var., whilst at other times, especially when moist, the areolae
and their pores are tolerably conspicuous. The female fructification, as
seen and described to me by Mr. Lyell, seems precisely similar to that
of M. hemisphecrica ; but the most remarkable peculiarity of this plant is
that the male receptacles, which are very abundant, have hitherto always
been found sessile, and imbedded, as it were, in the surface of the
frond, situated near the extremities, whence, at the period of their
decav, innovations of the frond are seen to issue.
The 3 vars. just described, are found growing on comparatively dry
banks, and to this may be attributed the compact nature of their fronds,
the deep purple hue of the underside and margins, and the indistinctness
of the cellules. The M.