Colenso. — On new Cryptogams. 239 



Hab. Wet shaded forests near Norsewood, County of Wai- 

 pawa; 1886 : W.C. 



Obs. This species is closely allied to M. novce-zealandia:* 

 Col., and also to M. rostratum, Schw., and M. rhynchophorum, 

 Hook. From the former of those three species it differs in its 

 smaller and dark-green leaves with narrower margins and small 

 crowded cells at their tips ; in its bearing 3-4 fruit-stalks, and 

 its smaller and narrower capsule, which is also roughish, and 

 yellow with an orange-coloured mouth; in its internal teeth 

 being largely perforated, with long flexuous tips and their inter- 

 vening ciliaa only single and forked at top ; and in its operculum 

 being much shorter than the capsule, of a different shape, 

 orange-coloured and papillose — all which differences also apply 

 more or less to the two other species named above. 



Genus 46. Polytrichum, Linn. 



§ V. Phalacroma, Hook. f. and Wilson. 



(Stem tall, fastigiously branched, dendroid.) 



1. P. tontjariroense, sp. nov. 



Plant erect, 8-10 inches high ; stem long, simple below, 

 much branched at top. Eoot (specimens) sub-horizontal, l£ 

 inches long, 2 lines thick, curved, densely covered with white 

 wool. Stem slender, straight, and flexuous, 5-6 inches high, 

 brown, glossy, triquetrous and regularly scarred below, clothed 

 above with sheathing imbricated closely adpressed scale-like 

 leaves, their vaginant bases large, oblong-quadrate, l\ lines 

 long, 1 line broad, very glossy, nerve stout, prominent on out- 

 side (not broad), excurrent and forming the aristate leaf, 1 line 

 long, increasing in size upwards on stem to 2 lines long, curved, 

 acute, very slightly serrulate (sub lente) ; the top or branched 

 part 3-4 inches long, containing 15-17 alternate and distant 

 branches ; branches simple, 2-2| inches long, sometimes the 

 lower ones are forked near their bases, loosely spreading, leafy 

 throughout. Leaves a pleasing green, very numerous, rather 

 loosely arranged, wavy and curled (dry), the free part very 

 narrow linear, \ inch long, -J^th inch broad, tip acute, canalicu- 

 late on upper surface, the centre opaque with a stout narrow 

 prominent nerve ; margined ; margins translucent, cells minute, 

 orbicular, distinct ; slightly serrulate, serratures increasing 

 towards apex (almost entire about base), teeth sharp ; the 

 vaginant base large, shining, brown, 1 line wide, abruptly 

 dilated quadrate, with a wavy crease at each side at top owing 

 to the sudden expansion ; margins of vaginant portion straight, 



" Trans. N.Z. Inst.," vol. xviii., p. 225. 



