132 



NEW EUROPEAN MOSSES. 



Juratzka has lately erected Barhula convoluta (3, Sardoa, of C. 

 Muller's Syn. p. 516, into a species, under the name of Barbula 

 covimntata, Jur,, and gives the following characters : — * 



Barbula (Tortula) commutata. Jur. n. sp. — Very similar to 

 Barbula convoluta, but more robust. Tufts dense, yellowish-green 

 above, reddish-brown below ; stem taller, 2 cm. high, sparingly 

 furnished with radicles; leaves larger, firmer, densely and minutely 

 papillose, subsquan-ose ; lower leaves smaller, ovate, lanceolate ; 

 leaves from the middle of the stem lanceolate ; comal leaves 

 lanceolate from an ovate, concave, and slightly sheathing base, 

 acute, carinate ; the margin minutely crenulate with papillas, re- 

 flexed and subundulate towards the base ; nerve rather thick, not 

 excurrent, becoming reddish in the older leaves, the leaves incurved 

 and twisted when dry ; cells hyaline at base, elongate, rectangular, 

 above minute, subquadrate and opaque. Inflorescence dioicous ; 

 perigonial leaves obovate, acuminate, toothed above nerve, thin ; 

 perich^tial leaves sheathing beyond the middle, thence narrowly 

 lanceolate, subsquarrose ; the inner leaves longer, convolute, 

 sheathing, obtuse, or shortly apiculate, yellowish, and membra- 

 naceous ; nerve thin or absent, capsule longer, narrow, oblong, in- 

 curved, reddish, becoming brown when old ; pedicel pale yellow, 

 1-1^ cm. long, twisted to the right below, and to the left above ; 

 annulus broad, deciduous (?) ; operculum half the length of the 

 capsule or more, subulate, conical ; teeth of the peristome three or 

 four times twisted, pale red, minutely papillose. Spores smooth, 

 yellowish, rather larger. ' 



This species is distinguished from B. convoluta, to which it is 

 most nearly allied, by its larger size, by the leaves being more 

 squarrose in the moist state, more strongly incurved and twisted 

 when dry ; the leaves of the apex of the stem are almost crisped 

 and difficult to moisten. 



The capsule is on the average 2 m.m. long, and therefore half a 

 m.m. longer than that of Barbula convoluta, which is only 1-g- 

 m.m. The lid is also longer in proportion. In the barren state it 

 has much the size and aspect of the ca?spitose form of Barbula 

 paludosa, from which, however, it is easily distinguished by its 

 softness, the entire tips of the more recurved leaves, the reflexed 

 lower margin of the leaves, and the hyaline basilar cells. 

 Q ^ j Barb, convoluta 1^, Sardoa, C. Mull. Syn., p. 516. 



■ ( Barb, convoluta var. densa, Mildc, Bryol. Siles, p. 116. 



Hab. — Sardinia, Cyprus, Westphalia, Zante, Majoric 



The same bryologist has also described a new species of Hypnum 

 under the name of 



Rhyncostegium meditezxaneum. Jur, — Very similar to R. 

 tenellum. Tufts intricate, silky, greenish, or yellowish-green ; 



* " Hedwigia," August, 1874, p. 4. 



