68 



Metzgeria grandiflora sp. nov. 



Whitish or yellowish green, becoming brownish with age, grow- 

 ing in tufts: thallus spreading more or less from the substratum, 

 apparently pendulous, dichotomous, well-developed branches 

 mostly i-i .5 mm. wide when explanate and 3-6 mm. long between 

 the forks, strongly convex, the margins almost meeting ventrally; 

 costa bounded both dorsally and ventrally by two rows of cortical 

 cells; wings about fifteen cells wide, the cells similar throughout, 

 with slightly thickened walls and minute, scarcely evident tri- 

 gones, averaging about 45X35 m; hairs scattered, restricted to 

 the margin, sometimes truly marginal, sometimes slightly dis- 

 placed to the ventral surface, occurring singly, rarely more than 

 60 ij. long and often much shorter, straight or nearly so, thick- 

 walled: inflorescence dioicous: female branch much longer than 

 is usual in the genus, sometimes attaining a length of 0.8 mm.; 

 central portion several cells thick but without a distinct costa, 

 strongly concave dorsally; wings reniform, about 0.4 mm. wide, 

 more or less pressed together, one cell thick; hairs marginal, 

 scattered, usually occurring singly, rarely in pairs, similar to 

 those of the thallus but often longer and sometimes attain ng a 

 length of I50)u; archegonia numerous: male branch strongly 

 curved and inflated, elliptical in outline, about 0.6 mm. long and 

 0.4 mm. wide, delicate in texture, without hairs; costa distinct; 

 antheridia numerous: calyptra and sporophyte not seen [Figs. 

 1-5]- 



On bushes and trees. Chatham Island, February 23, 1906, 

 A. Stewart 2785, 2786; Abingdon Island, September 19, 1906, 

 A. Steivart 8524. No. 2785, a portion of which is deposited in 

 the herbarium of Yale University, may be designated the type of 

 the species; No. 2786 is mixed with Fndlania aculeata Tayl. and 

 a sterile Plagiochila; No. 8524 is mixed with a sterile Fndlania, 

 apparently referable to F. brasiliensis Raddi. 



The female branches in M. grandiflora (Figs. 3, 4) are unusually 

 large and yield some of the most distinctive characters of the 

 species. In most members of the genus these branches are small 

 and obcordate, the dorsal surface is plane or nearly so, the arche- 

 gonia are borne in a small cluster, and the hairs are often scattered 

 over the ventral surface. In M. grandiflora the dorsal surface 

 in the median portion is so strongly concave that the wings are 

 almost pressed together, and it is only with difftculty that they 

 can be flattened out in one plane; the wings are reniform and 



