20 REVUE BRYOLOGIQUE 



It is perfectly clear therefore that on every ground the 



real type ofC. Miiller's [l. Borrcrianum is the lowland 



plant, the common British and European andN. American 



P. elegans Hook., and that Lindberg was too hasty in 



assuming it, on the basis of a single erroneously labelled 



specimen of Spruce's, to be founded on the alpine y\ Malic- 



rianum Schp. Schimper's name Mallerianum for the 



latter plant, has therefore the right of priority as well as 



the sanction of common sense. 



Lindber^ himselfwouldseemtohave recognised this later, 

 forinanoteinMeddel.Soc.proF,&Fl.fenn.,HaftIX,1883, 



p. 128(citedby Limprichtunder Flag. ^%(7/i.v as'* Botanical 

 notes") he refers to Spruce's paper (Journ. Bot. 1. c.)and 

 conclusions, adding that « he himself from examination of 

 original specimens has arrived at the same opinion (viz. 

 that our European ' lowland ' plant is distinct from the 

 N, American species), and that in consequence the 

 European specimen ought to be called Isopterygmm Bor- 

 reri (Spruce) Lindb., under which specific name it was 

 for the first time described from the Pyrenees. » Moreover 

 in 1887 he records the discovery of Plag. Mullerianum 

 Schp. in a Norwegian locality under the designation of 

 (L hopterggium MuUerianum (Schp.) Lindb. », apparently 

 the first publicalion of this combination. This is a 

 somewhat astonishing chani^e of front after his appro- 



O ^"^""'o 



priation in 1874 of the former name (L Borreri) for 

 Schimper's P. MuUerianum. In the absence of any publi- 

 cation giving his reason for so doing it is to be supposed 

 that he had reconsidered the matter, or that further 

 authentic material of Spruce's from the Pyrenees had 

 convinced him that he had been in error in supposing 

 C. Miiller's description and Spruce's MS, name Borreria- 

 mon to have been founded upon P. Mullerianum Schp., 

 although specimens of the latter from one Pyrenean 

 locality had been confounded with the true Borrcrianum 

 and distributed as such. 



I have used the name P. elegant for our common 

 European plant tliroughout, since the consensus of opinion 

 appears to be at the present time in favour of uniting it 

 with the North American species, in spite of Spruce's and 

 Lindberg's latest conclusions, Limpricht has so considered 

 it, and Mitten informs me that he also retains the same 

 opinion. It is admitted that slight differences exist 

 between the American and European plants ; but they do 

 not seem sufficient to warrant their specific separation. 

 Tliis is of course the case with numerous species of mosses 

 common to the two continents. If this conclusion is 

 generally accepted the specific name Borrcrianum may be 



