BOTANICAL GAZETTE. 143 



fruit) of a ilull green color, and ^'iWi estriate erecthh only slightly curved leaves. {Hyp. 

 nuni Peckii, AtJST. in litt. olim.) 



II)/pnirmfluifiin'< occurs near Closter, with ao abortive female flower on the dis 

 tinctly pedicelled male flower, in the axil of a lower perigonial leaf. These (female 

 flowers) are composed of a few minute leaves enclosing from 1-3 pistils and several 

 short paraphyses. This species is readily distinguished when fertile by the broad, verj 

 abrujitly pointed peri-chtetial leaves. It sometimes roots from the ai)ex of the stem 

 leaves. Slender forms often have the leaves obtuse. 



Hypxum exannulatum, Gumb. var. Cochle.«. Caule stricto rigido parce diviso 

 interrupte vaide ramoso, foliis erectis purpureo variegatis apice pro more integerrimis 

 in siccis parte superiore spiraliter tortis, basi sensim paulo angustata distincte serrata^ 

 cellulis infimis plerumque serie smgula transversa inflatis. — Diehelyina Swartzii, B'. & 

 L. Exsic. Ed. 2., /b. :541, planta Californica. Var. iMMhSiisu.M. — Caule tenui debili, foliis 

 circinnato-falcatis tenuis perangustis, basi ut in pra^cedente, apice distinctius remote 

 sernito.— Dichelyma Swartzii, S. & L. 1. c, planta Nova? Ctesarensis. Var. SwiiCrzii. — 

 Foliis hamato-incurvis rigidis (subserratis) basi solidioribus, CiBteroquin ut in prsece- 

 dente. — Diehelyina tiwartzii, Lindb ! 



Hypnum exannulatum is nearest to H.fluitans, from which it may always be distin- 

 guisiicd by the narrower, much less abruptly pointed perichsetial leaves, by the stem 

 leaves gradually more or less narrowed toward the base, more or less distinctly serrate 

 on the margin throughout (only serrate at the apex in H.fluitani<,), with much enlarged 

 and inflated cells at the basal angles or extending across the base. Sometimes these in 

 flated cells occur only at the basal angles, where they form a distinct large patch, and 

 sometimes tiiey extend across tlie whole base of the leaf in the name example. Tlie 

 plant is also dicecious; but I have always found the male and female plants mixed in 

 fertile examples. 



Hypnum vacillans, Sulliv., Icon. Siqjpl-, is a form of Hypnnm riparium, Hedw., 

 (no douljt), with the leaves often obtuse. I have found a large form (sterile) in running 

 water, and resembling a Fonttnalw, with the leaves all obtuse. 



Jlypninn fljiviatile, Swartz, is certainly only a form of II. oligorrhizon, Gumb., 

 which is a form of //. (niliocliKlun, Be.\uv., which is a form of //. serpens, Linn. These 

 forms clearly depend upon external causes — as matrix and clinuite — for the develop- 

 ment of their peculiarities. Tlie same may atflrmed of all the other forms of H. serpens^ 

 as H. r/dlicale, Bkid., H irriguunt, Wii^s., II. noterophilum, S. & L., etc. In fact, so far 

 as I have oljserved, there is no such thing as tariety among any of the cryptogams, in 

 the sense in wiilch the term variety is applied to phsenogams; none of them having 

 the power to reproduce their peculiarities under a change of matrix or of climatic in- 

 fluence. 



An Expr,ANATioN. — A. remark made by Mr. N. Coleman in the July number of the 

 Gazette, really calls for an explanation on my part. He says "there must be some 

 mistake!" We admit it, and a very unfortunate mistake for the credit of our State 

 Flora, on the part of the authors of our Catalogue, wiio report only 979 jdants, while 

 our whole number must be twice as many! This came from not consulting Drs. C. C. 

 Parry, Davenport; G. E. Ehinger, Keokuk ; P.J. Farnsworth (Medical Professor at Iowa 

 University, residence Clinton), and other older botanists. Many plants reported by me 

 were collected from five to eleven years ago, and only now reported to rectify the deficit 

 in said Catalogue. "Nebraska reports 2,022 plants, and surely our good state, after all 

 due allowance for the drift ])y long rivers from far western mountains of a host of their 

 rarest flowers, ought not to fall behind by the thousand! I would, therefore, request 

 that Mr. N. Coleman, Dr. C. C. Parry, and those above named, would send to the author 

 of our Catalogue, Mr. J. C. Arthur, Ames, for co])ies and fill up the deficiencies in the 



