The English flora - SeaweedAfrica

1 6 H EPATI CJE. [Jungermannia.
as given in the Sp. PL, where it was first noticed, is " M. calyce coramuni
integro hemisphagrico," adding " monoica seu androgyna est haec
species :" he states it to be a native of Italy and Jamaica, and refers to
Micheli, t. 2./. 3, (the authority for the Italian plant,) and to Dill.
Muse. t. 75. f. 3, (the authority for the Jamaica plant.) Micheli' s plant, as
far as we can judge from the magnified figure, may possibly be that state
of the species with sessile male receptacles above noticed as found by
Mr. Lyell, and to which, if any, the name androgyna may still be applied
; the female receptacles are equally divided with our M. hemisphcerica
; yet the fronds are much longer, narrower, and repeatedly
divided in a dichotomous manner. With regard to Dillenius' plant from
Jamaica, the fronds are still more unlike ours ; and as is evident from
his description and figure, they are furnished with gemmiferous scyphi
and not with male receptacles. Now, it appears that Linnaeus' character
of M. androgyna was taken from a Siberian plant, described by Scopoli
and Smith, under the name of M. triandra, and hence Smith observes,
"our great naturalist erred in making its specific character Calyx communis
integer." To return again to the figs, in E. Bot., there is no male
fructification described ; nor, so far as we can discover, any mark by
which to distinguish it from M- hemisphcerica.
Schmidel, under M. hemisphcerica, t. 34. at/. 3, and XIII, has figured
and has described what appear to be sessile male receptacles, on the
same fronds with the pedunculated ones ; and this would seem to
strengthen our opinion of the 2 kinds being found on the same species.
5. M. irrigua, Wils. (water Marchantid); receptacle of the
capsules hemispherical cut at the margin into 5 or 6 lobes, that
of the anthers pedunculated with a thickened margin, frond of
a very close texture without pores. Wils. Mss.
In dripping places; Turk Cascade, near Killarney; Maghan^bo Glen,
near Brandon mountain ; Ballihasig Glen, near Cork ; Mr. Wilson. Fr.
Apr. May.
—
"Fcm. receptacle hemisphaerical, 5—6 rayed, each ray slight-
ly split for the protrusion of the capsule. Filaments very long, thickened
in the middle, seeds small. Male receptacles stalked, peltate, flattish or
sometimes pitted in the centre, not bordered as in M. hemisphcerica.
Frond of a wavy dark green, of close texture without pores, furnished
with a sort of midrib, covered beneath with silky radicles."— The shape
of the antheriferous receptacle, Mr. Wilson observes, and the texture of
the frond, seem chiefly to distinguish this from M. hemisphcerica -, the
latter character is indeed quite visible in the dry state ; and both in
colour and texture the fronds look more like those of Jungermannia
epiphylla than of any British Marchantia. 1 possess what appears to be
the same species from Madeira and other southern countries.
6. Jungermannia. Linn. Jungermannia.
Common receptacle of the fruit none. Perianth or calyx
monophyllous, tubular, sometimes double, rarely wanting.
Capsule 4-valved, terminating a peduncle, which is longer than
the perianth.—Named after Louis Jungermann, a German Bo-
tanist.