i8o ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



HYPNUM RECURVULUM. In small, prostrate, densely caespitose 

 tufts ; stems irregularly, often fastigiately branched, branches in- 

 curved, radiculose ; leaves appressed when dry, erecto-patent when 

 moist and somewhat recurved, broadly ovate, acute, apical somewhat 

 acuminate ; nerve strong, continuing to the apex or ending just 

 below it, breadth near base 65, scarcely tapering upwards, often 

 somewhat broader in the middle of the leaf, margin broadly reflexed 

 from base to near apex, where it is plane and often slightly serrulate, 

 but entire elsewhere. The reflexed portion of margin in the middle 

 is as much as 35 broad, and often shows on it a narrow deep 

 sulcus. The ordinary leaf may be said to be about twice as long 

 as the greatest breadth, or about i by \ mm. Areolation near 

 central base, oblong, 1 6 to 22 by n to 14, colourless, upwards and 

 outwards smaller but still large, bluntly quadrate, TO to 16 by 8 to 

 1 2, and fully chlorophyllose throughout. On boulders near the sea- 

 shore, Largs, Ayrshire, 1869. 



This moss, at first sight, has much the size and appearance 

 of H. catenulatum. I cannot associate it with any except perhaps 

 H. fluviatile, but the differences are manifest. 



HYPNUM AMCENUM. Older stems prostrate, wiry, nearly leafless ; 

 growing stems ascending, irregularly and sparsely branched, branches 

 nearly erect, yellowish-green above, brown below; lower leaves 

 small and very concave, enlarging upwards, disposed pretty thickly 

 and equally around the stem, spreading slightly but often imbricated, 

 especially when moistened, from a broad, almost cordate base, shortly 

 and convexly ovate, shortly and sharply apiculate, concave, striated, 

 and even sulcated, margin plane, finely serrated, especially in the 

 upper third, serratures formed by the sharp prominent extremities of 

 cells ; nerve with a breadth near base of 60, tapering quickly and 

 reaching the middle ; alar spaces decurrent, large, well defined, 

 composed of hexagonal cells with thickish walls, very variable in 

 size, 20 to 50 by 10 to 25. These cells are at first colourless, but 

 become reddish-brown, the nerve also becoming yellowish. General 

 areolation composed of cells very large and long, fusiform, some- 

 what undulating, with acutely pointed extremities, and in close ap- 

 position, pellucid, 65 to 100 by 7 to 10. Only male inflorescence 

 has been detected, enclosed in very compact, bluntish, oval buds, 

 situated in the axils of the lower leaves ; leaves very blunt, with 

 broader, opener areolation, often nerveless, especially those next the 

 antheridia. Ben Lawers, 1864. 



I cannot reconcile myself to the identification of this moss with 

 any of the forms of H. palustre, nor even with the variety Mackayi 

 of H. eugyrium. The areolation is of a different construction, be- 

 sides, the cells are twice as long as well as twice as broad. There 

 are other differences. In this respect also it differs from H. molle 



