Dear M^r Darwin

Your plant is Lunularia vulgaris.

We have spoken in Sachs of the vegetative structures of this plant as composed of thalloid shoots since they are really laterally expanded axes bearing rudimentary leaves along a central nerve on the under side. To speak of them as fronds would however meet with very general approval (since Hepaticæ with this habit are called frondose) I am not sure that our objection to the shorter expression was not a little pedantic.¹

The greenish bodies in the open saucers are perhaps hardly spores but are usually called gemmæ. The similar bodies in Machantia are figured in Sachs (p. 298)² They really are modified hairs and their gradual development into young plants may be compared to the formation of buds from the leaves of Bryophyllum.³ Of course they tread hard on⁴ spores which are themselves mostly structures arising asexually for reproduction. But spores I take to be unicellular bodies capable of a period of suspended vitality (e.g. fern spores). These Lunularia hairs grow directly into new Lunularia plants

In Marchantia the containing receptacle has a complete circular margin while in Lunularia it is a crescent.

I have been very unwell with an attack fortunately slight of liver congestion. But I hope and believe I am convalescent again

Believe me | Yours very sincerely | W. T. Thiselton Dyer