At a certain period after the flower, a passage through the calyptra is forced, either in consequence of the elon gation of a peculiar receptacle, like that of the foliose mosses, termed fruitstalk, or in consequence of the en largement of the fruit itself. In the Jungermannix the fruitstalk varies very much, being very long in J. epi phylla, and J. pinguis ; in the former of which it some times attains the length of three inches : while in J. pla typhylla, J. scolopendra, &c. it merely rises abote the very short calyx, and probably, in these species, is sel dom more than two, or at most three lines in length. The fruitstalks of-the Jungermannix consist of an extremely delicate, lax, cellular tissue, usually of a semi-pellucid whiteness. They are of remarkably rapid growth, and equally rapid decay. In J. epiphylla, for instance, if in the evening a capsule be perceived which has just newly burst through the calyptra, and the same plant be visited again next morning, (supposing the night to have been mild and moist,) the fi uitstalk will be found to have at tained its full length. Between eight and ten in that morning probably the capsule will open; and by a little past eleven the fruitstalk will begin to decay. The dura tion of that of J. Blasia is perhaps even shorter. On ac count of this extreme fugaciousness, the fruit of some of the Jungermannix is much more difficult to be met with than that of the foliose mosses.
In Nlarchantia the fruitstalk is so extremely short, that it may almost be said to be wanting. It differs in no essential respect from that of Jungermannia. It is of course an organ extremely different from the peduncle or stalk which supports the common receptacle.
In Monoclea the peduncle reaches the height of about an inch and a half; is succulent, somewhat carnose; of a sordid yellow. In some instances a single fruitstalk, in others three of them, arise from the same cavity in the frond. In the other hepatic genera, Anthoceros, Sphx rocarpus, Targionia, and Riccia, the fruit is sessile.
The fruit of all the Hepatic mosses, with the excep tion perhapa of Sphmrocarpus, is capsular.
In the genus Jungermannia, before the capsule has escaped the calyptra, it is of an ovate figure, without any appearance or sutures. At this early stage it consists in teriorly of cellular tissue, containing numerous dark-co loured granules, with numerous twisted brown lines in termingled. When it has emerged frorn the calyptra, the capsule hardens ; the sutures become evident ; the pulp is absorbed ; and the capsule contains only the gra nules become seeds, and the twisted brown lines become spiral filaments. The texture of the calyx is usually corneous ; but in several species it is membranaceous and pale brown, as in J. Mackaii, J. pusilla, &c.; mem branaceous, white, and transpaient, in J. hamatifolia, J. calyptrifolia, and some others. In general, the capsule divides to the very base into four valves, which become quite expanded ; hut in J. calyptrifolia, J. minutissima, &c. the valves do not reach above half the length of the capsule ; and in J. Hooker', J. and SOITIC others,
have five valves instead of the usual number. In J. pu silla, it is altogether irregular in the mode of opening ; a singular anomaly. In J. Trichomanis, the numher of valves is as usual four, divided to the very base ; but they are twisted spirally in a singular manner.
The spiral filaments, (elateres,) which occur always intermingled with the seeds of the Jungermannix. and some other hepatic genera, consist, in some instances, of a single thread, twisted upon itself; in other instances, of two threads, enveloped in a thin, pellucid, tubular membrane. The mode of their attachment is in many instances quite problematical, as they are always found quite loose at both ends, intermingled among the seeds. In J. Hookeri, J. furcata, &cc. they are formed of a single thread, and remain, after the discharge of the seeds, at tached to the extremity of the valves of the capsule. In J. flabellata, J. serpyllifolia, Ecc. the attachment is the same ; but each spiral filament consists of a double he lix, or twisted thread. In J. epiphylla, the filaments re main attached, in a thick tuft, to the centre of the cap sule, opposite the insertion of the fruitstalk.
The capsule of Nlarchantia is very siniilar in struc ture to that of Jungermannia. At maturity, the four valves of the capsule roll backwards, and disclose a great number of spiral filaments, with the sceds intermingled. According to Hedwig's delineation, in Al. conica, the spiral filaments seem to be irregular in the number of their helices, two, three, or four, occurring indifferently within the pellucid membrane, in spiral filaments taken from the same capsule. In M. polymorpha, the fila ments consist always of a double helix. In Monoclea, which, in the structure of its fruit approaches the near est to the two genera already treated of, the capsule is obiongo-cylindraceous, striated, inclined ; opening on the back, or upper part, by a single valve. Each cap sule contains numerous seeds and spiral filaments. The filaments consist each of a double helix. M. Forsteri is the only hepatic moss with a univalve capsule, hitherto discovered. In Anthoceros and Targionia, the capsules are bivalve. In Anthoceros the capsule splits longitudi nally from the summit, as if by the separation of the valves of a silique, and discloses numerous seeds, which are supposed to have been attached to a very obvious cylindrical central columella, as well as to the valves; and numerous elateres, or seed dispersers, of a structure very different from the spiral filaments of the preceding genera. They sometimes are of one piece, of a length probably sufficient to measure twice the circumference of a seed, rounded on the exterior side, and flat on the interior, with the end somewhat incrassated, bent in the form of a semicircle, and each seizing one of the seeds with its two extremities. More frequently they are of two pieces, united by a joint ; and seem extremely well fitted for dispersing the seeds with elasticity.