NEW AND RARE SCOTTISH MOSSES 121 



GRIMMIA RETRACTA (published 1 885),zwr.suBMUTiCA.- 

 Gr. retracta is easily recognised in the field by its light green 

 patches, whose leaves remain permanently squarroso-recurved 

 during wet weather, while those of Gr. Hartmani under the 

 same conditions become flaccid, and cohere in little groups 

 in an upward direction. The variety submutica is of a 

 somewhat darker colour, while the leaves in some patches 

 are all without hair points, in others, a very short hair point 

 is occasionally seen. Achnacarron, Loch Awe, 1896. 



BRYUM RUBRICOSUM (published 1867). Densely tufted, 

 radiculose, one to three inches in height, red below, green near 

 summit, above sparingly and fastigiately branched. Stems 

 red, thickish ; leaves rather distantly placed, small, about 

 I.4X.8 mm., concave, obovate (narrowed a little at base), 

 rounded at apex, reflexed on margin almost throughout ; 

 nerve solid, red, tapering upwards and excurrent in a short 

 straight sharpish mucro, at times ceasing just below apex, 

 but the leaf still a little pointed ; areolation lax, oblong below, 

 .05 X .019 mm., a little smaller above and more hexagonal. 

 Leaf not bordered nor thickened, margin composed of one, 

 occasionally two rows of cells, slightly narrower than the 

 others, viz. .013 mm. in breadth. Near the summit of Ben 

 Lawers, 1864. 



In August of 1887 there was picked up, near the shores 

 of Loch Harray in Orkney, a Philonotis which attracted my 

 attention. An examination of the moss lately showed it to 

 be P. rigida (Brid.). This is the only record of the moss for 

 Scotland, and probably the most northern station for it in 

 Europe. Curiously enough, near it grew Alectoria bicolor, 

 enveloping a tuft of Calluna an unusual habitat for this 

 lichen, and one not many feet above sea-level. On the 

 Ward Hill of the Mainland, Orkney, at an elevation of not 

 more than 150 feet above the sea-level, I secured two 

 mosses growing nearly in apposition, viz. Sphagnum medium 

 (Limpr.) and Bryum Duvalii (Voit). I may revert to the 

 shores of Loch Harry as the habitat of several good things, 

 and notably as to the curious distribution there of Primula 

 scotica. 



In September of 1896, near Loch Awe, I picked off 



