Stuntz : North American Species of Eleutra 203 



usually transversely undulate, glossy : outer perichaetial leaves 

 ovate, inner long-acuminate : cells rhomboidal at apex, becoming 

 oblong at middle, and linear-oblong or sinuous at base, smooth : 

 alar cells rounded-quadrate. Sporophyte : capsule immersed or 

 exserted, symmetrical : calyptra cucullate : peristome double : 

 teeth 1 6, lance-linear, closely articulate, thin: endostome a short 

 basal membrane, 16-cleft, without cilia: annulus none. (From 

 Greek EleutJiera, epithet applied to Diana.) 



The genus includes 158 species, according to Paris, Index Bry- 

 ologicus, distributed throughout the temperate zones and tropics. 



The generic name, Neckeria of Hedwig, afterwards written 

 Neckera, given in honor of N. J. Necker, the German bryologist* 

 was antedated by Neckeria Scopoli, given to what is now known 

 as Corydalis or Capnoides. In 1805 Palisot de Beauvois, in his 

 Prodrome des cinqiueme et sixieme families de r Actlieogamie, divides 

 Hedwig's and Bridel's Neckera into Neckera and Pilolrichum, 

 (generic characterizations and lists of included species on pp. 35 

 and 37), and, on p. 30 he gives " Eleutera" as a substitute for 

 Neckera, which he would abolish because of its being given in 

 honor of a man ; on p. 56, in the "Table des Mousses,'' he gives 

 11 Eletiteria. Elcitterie (common name). Norn que je propose de 

 donner au genre Neckera.' ' This, in connection with the lists of 

 species on pp. 35 and 77-8 amounts to generic publication, 

 although no binomials were published. In his generic charac- 

 terizations, and also under Neckera in "Table des Mousses," he 

 gives " Eleutric" as the common name which he proposes for the 



- 



genus. 



The genus Eleutcra differs from the nearest North American 



genus, Homalia, in having narrow, not distinctly keeled segments, 

 and no annulus. 



The total number of North American species of the genus is 

 six. Two of the species are sub-tropical ; one of these is limited 

 to Florida ; the other occurs in Florida, Texas and New Mexico. 

 Two species are northwestern, occurring from Alaska to northern 

 Idaho and central California. One is limited to the Allcghanies. 

 The remaining species, or one of its two varieties, is distributed 

 from Newfoundland to Lake Athabasca and the Rocky Moun- 

 tains, south to North Carolina, and in New Mexico (Fendler). 

 All the species except the sub-tropical ones, which are found only 

 on trees, grow on both trees and rocks. 



