238 Transactions. — Botany. 



tipped, red. Vernation erect, 7-9 inches high, sub-caespitose, 6-10 

 stems rising nearly together, sometimes 3-4 stems uniserial and 

 distant from a single rhizome ; main stem stoutish, 1 line 

 diameter, somewhat rigid, sub-cylindrical, bare of branches but 

 much branched at top, leafless, with small scattered linear 

 obtuse scales about 1 line long, smaller and more numerous on 

 branches. Frond 4-5 inches long, spreading, flabellate, dark- 

 green minutely speckled with whitish dots, glabrous, glossy ; 

 branches largely dichotomous, sub-angular (as also branchlets) ; 

 branchlets numerous, very slender, less than i hue wide, long, 

 straight, spreading, flexible ; tips truncate, refuse and slightly 

 emarginate. Capsules rather numerous, alternate, lateral and 

 peduncled, mostly on the middle branches (not below, rarely at 

 the tops), very small, ^th inch diameter, sub-globose and 

 slightly tri-lobed depressed, sometimes plain, also elliptic longer 

 than broad, 1-2-3- and 4-celled, green at first (same colour as 

 frond) and very glossy, orange -yellow when ripe, minutely 

 dotted (sub lente), sometimes with 2 very small ovate obtuse 

 lobes, or a minute bract, closely adpressed at base ; peduncles 

 short, about 1 line long, stout. Spores white, narrow oval. 



Hub. Wairakei, Taupo, near the Eiver Waikato, in ground 

 heated by hot springs, among thick growing shrubs of Lepto- 

 spermum, etc. ; 1887: Mr. C. J. Norton. 



Okder IV.— MUSCI. 



Genus 37. Mnium, Bruch and Schimp. 



1. M. xanthocarpum, sp. nov. 



Plant creeping, straggling ; main branches 8-4 inches long, 

 tips proliferous, hairy ; branches sub-erect, i-1 inch high, bare 

 below and hairy. Leaves few, sub-rosulate at tips of branches, 

 oblong, obtuse (sometimes slightly refuse,) apiculate, 2^-3 lines 

 long, (recurved and crisp when dry,) narrowly margined, margin 

 entire but slightly uneven, sometimes minutely and sparsely 

 denticulate towards apex, upper basal half free from stem of 

 branch; nerve stout percurrent ; dark-green, (pale in age,) sub- 

 opaque ; cells sub-orbicular-oblong with double walls, smaller 

 and crowded at apex. Fruit-stalk erect, 15 lines long, stout, 

 firm, yellow-green, base red, 1-4 growing together. Capsule 

 oblong-cylindrical, 1-J- lines long, sub-rugulose, horizontal and 

 cernuous, yellow with dark orange rim at mouth. Operculum 

 broadly conical, obtuse, much shorter than capsule, y^th inch 

 long, minutely papillose, orange. Teeth, external, brown, with 

 4 longitudinal lines, the transverse bars in pairs ; internal, pale 

 brown with distant bars and 4-6 large areoles in each tooth, 

 very acuminate, filiform and knobbed, tips flexuose ; the inter- 

 vening ciliae single and forked above with long filiform knobbed 

 tips. Calyptra not seen. 



