SOME SCOTTISH MOSSES 115 



the back slightly nodular, and presenting a somewhat 

 rectangular outline in cross section much as in D. palustre, 

 auricles large well developed, of large oblong cells with thick 

 walls, yellow or reddish yellow ; cells in lowest half or less, 

 long, cylindrical, undulating on surface owing to the presence 

 of numerous osculating pores, lateral as well as apical, 50 

 to 70 by 7 to II yu,, above, the cells become rapidly smaller 

 and ultimately are rhomboid, bluntly quadrate, triangular or 

 even oval, 14 to 20 by 9 to I 3 /i, becoming smaller as the 

 apex is approached. 



The leaves of this moss are long, not much shorter than 

 those of D. niajus, but the areolation differs from that of any 

 of the group of which D. niajus may be taken as the type. 

 Unfortunately I have very little of this curious moss, and I 

 do not care to make further dissections, as I wish to preserve 

 the few stems left intact. The leaves are much more acute 

 than in D. palustre, to which it is closely allied, especially 

 through the constitution of the nerve ; but the areolation is 

 quite heterogeneous and differs accordingly from that of 

 D. palustre and of the other species of this section of the 

 Dicrana, inasmuch as their areolation may be said to be 

 nearly uniform throughout. The only other moss with 

 which this can be associated is D. congestum, but the 

 differences of both the lower and upper cells are manifest, 

 inasmuch as the lower cells are those of D. palustre and the 

 upper more nearly approach those of D. fuscescens. Ben 

 Lawers, 1865. 



The occurrence in my herbarium of several specimens of 

 what I have named Tortula recurvifolia, now inserted under 

 the genus Barbula, and named by Dr. Braithwaite B. reflexa, 

 has induced me to institute renewed research concerning it, 

 more especially as the tufts from Ben Lawers show decided 

 differences from the others. Those from this mountain, 

 where it is comparatively common, are of a tawny-yellow 

 instead of the light-brown colour, assumed ultimately by the 

 others in the herbarium. The habit of the plant is also 

 different, as it is on a larger scale and accordingly coarser, 

 and the tufts laxer and much more straggling. The leaves 

 are longer and slightly contracted at the base, and the areola- 

 tion at central base is quite different from that of the others, 



