125 



Phascum tetragonum ; caule elato subramoso, tbliis lato-lan- 

 ceolatis integerrimis subpateiitibus nervo valido attingente, 

 seta exserta, capsula elliptica (matura exacte) tetragona. 

 (Tab. XXXI.) 



Hab. In terrain prope Tiegerberg, ad Cap. Bonaa Spei. D. 

 Mund. 



Caules duas vel tres lineas longi, caespitosi, subramosi, basi 

 dense radicibus tomentosi, superne foliosi. Folia subpa- 

 tentia, inferiora etiam recurva, lato-lanceolata, vel ovato- 

 lanceolata, acuminata, subopaca, integerrima, nervo valido 

 ad apicem attingente instructa : perichcBtialia reliquis lon- 

 giora, angustiora. Seta terminalis, exserta. Calyptra 

 subulata, hinc lateraliter fissa. Capsula inimatura sub- 

 tetragona indistincte striata, anguste elliptica, demuni 

 matura, exacte tetragona, angulis acutis, basi vix apophy- 

 sata. Columella gracilis. Semiiia numerosissima. 



I at first took this very interesting little African moss for 

 the Phascum splachnoides of Hornschuch, {Physidium Bridel,) 

 in Horae Physicae Berolinenses, but on comparing it with 

 original specimens of the latter, I find it to be distinguished 

 by the more elongated stems, very differently shaped and 

 much longer leaves, and especially in the curious and dis- 

 tinctly quadrangular capsule. It must, however, rank near 

 to that species in any system that takes into considera- 

 tion the natural affinities, and I cannot see any sufficient 

 reason for either the one or the other constituting a genus 

 distinct from Phascum. Both, again, will come near to 

 Ph. hryoides. 



Fig. 1, Tuft of plant, natural size. Figs. 2, 3, Plants 

 magnified. Fig. 4, Leaf. Fig. 5, Section of a capsule 

 magnified. 



