527 
Orthotrichum gymnostomum Bruch. 
By G. N. Best. 
) 
This rare moss was collected for the first time in North America 
by Rev. A. C. Waghorne, at Upper Sandy Point, N. F., on the 
28th of April last. It appears to have been first found in Ger- 
many by Bruch, who gave a description of it in Bridel’s Bryologia 
Universalis, 1826. It was afterwards collected at a few places in 
that country, also in Norway, in Sweden, possibly in England, 
and more recently in France. 
Material for comparison is scarce, and the only specimen I 
‘could obtain was a Swedish one kindly loaned me by Mrs. E. G. 
Britton. Our plant differs from that in being taller, the papillae 
smaller, ortherwise the agreement is perfect. 
Since it is now known that Orthotrichum gymnostomum is to 
be found in this country our botanists will be on the lookout for 
it, and in order that they may recognize it a brief description is 
given. 
It grows on poplars, in yellowish-green tufts reddish-brown 
within ; stem 4% to 1 cm. tall, erect, rigid, usually simple, some- 
times branching, with one or more clavate innovations; leaves 
_ when dry closely imbricated, when moist spreading, oblong-ovate 
concave-carinate, obtuse with the margin involute except at the 
base, nerve narrow, disappearing under the apex; perichetial — 
similar but longer, oblong-lanceolate, usually plane at the rounded 
or blunt apex; areolation angular, middle basal cells broadly 
ee linear, quadrate at the angles, upper oblong-rhomboidal, apical © 
oval or roundish, each cell with one or two stout papillae, these 
sometimes bifurcated. : | 
Dioicous; male plants smaller in seperate tufts or mixed with 
the female; calyptra plicate, conical, hairless, rough and black at 
apex, scarcely covering one-third of the capsule; operculum 
narrowly conical from a convex base ; capsule immersed, oblong- ~ 
Ovate, oblong when dry and empty, rounded at the truncate base, — 
_ without peristome, neck shorter than sporange, stomata superficial, 
only a few and these near the mouth, bands eight, yellowish, com- _ 
_ posed of two to four rows of yellowish thick-walled cells; pedicel 
very short, i Se a 
