Species of Scleropodium 539 



■i 



This species is much nearer slender-leaved forms of 5. cacspi- 

 tosuin than is generally recognized. It is distinguished from S. 

 caespitosiiui by its narrower more slenderly acuminate branch leaves, 

 which are more sharply serrate, with median cells longer and nar- 

 rower, enlarged basal and alar cells much less numerous. In 

 gross appearance the whole plant, and particularly the branches, is 

 much longer. ■ It is undoubtedly a derivative of 5. cacspitosum and 

 intermediate forms are not very rare. 



Type specimens of var. flagcUifonne Barnes have the shorter 

 median cells and the more numerous differentiated basal cells of 

 5. cacspitostun and seem to me to belong to that species. The 



^pitt 



ipodiu 



dian Musci no. 290. According to the statement of Professor 

 Macoun himself, this number is made up of two collections num- 

 bered originally 33 and 212. I find that 33 in his herbarium is 

 5. colpophyllum and 212 is S, cacspitosum. I have examined sev- 

 eral of Canadian Musci no. 290 and have found some to be S. 

 cacspitosum and others to be S. colpophylhuiL This makes it rea- 

 sonably sure that 5. Macounii is a synonym of 5. colpopJiyllnuK 

 Kindber^r states that 5. Macounii is '' monoecious.'' In this I think 



he is mistaken, for a careful examination of one of the specimens 

 of 290 which I referred to .S*. colpophylluni showed it to be dis- 

 tinctly dioicous. The male plants were, however, so closely inter- 

 twined with the female that at one time I made the same mistake, 

 which was corrected later by a more critical study. Kindberg 

 characterizes the branch leaves as '' obtusate." As I am uncertain 

 as to the meaning of the term I do not feel sure whether it talHes 

 with my conclusions or not. 



Scleropodium colpophyllum attenuatum var. nov. 



. Stoloniferous, much more slender with more distant loosely 

 spreading leaves : leaves much narrower with a longer and more 

 slender acumination : branch leaves varying from 1.7 x 0.54 mm. 

 on the longer branches to i x 0.2 on the smaller. 



Type from perpendicular rocks, Victoria, Vancouver Id., May 



Macou 



History 



Survey of Canada at Ottawa. 



