S.A. r.RYOPHYTA. ^ijy 



the sterilized suiiface left b\- a forest hre sails fur immediate 

 geranination and maintenanee ; in others {Fissidcns Wageri, 

 etc.), newly cut, moist, earth-banks meet the requirement. In 

 the larger number of cases .\lga? are ])resent first, and probably 

 regulate the constant presence of a aiecessary moisture-film to 

 induce germination and to maintain early life; lithophytes pro- 

 bably require lichens, even to keep the Alg?e from being dried 

 off; while in the case of all hydrophytes the constant presence 

 of water in some quantity is essential. In each case the pre- 

 sence of Bryophyta eventually forms a humus, in which, if sur- 

 rounding conditions allow it to accummulate, higher plants may 

 be able to live where formerl)- they could not do so. 



Conditions and sites suitable for pioneers include: — 



A. Disturbed Ground, such as ditch and river baaiks, rail- 

 way and road cuttings, cultivated land, dry stream beds, etc. : — 



1. In shade, either of dxerhanging trees or of the banks 



themselves. 

 These include : 



Fissidcns (minute species). Tretnatodon. 



Entosthadon. Polytrichum. 



Haplodo n Hum . Br achy th edit m . 



Ditrichum. Etc. 



2. /;; similar localities, but extending also into full exposure, 



so long as the soil contiiuies more or less moist, as it 

 usuallv does in vertical cuttings, or sloping banks : 



Pogonatnm. Funaria. Fossombronia. 



Polytrichum. Archidium. A^otoscyphus. 



Anomobryum. Pleuridium. Cephalozia. 



Bryum. Riccia. Kantia. 



Phascum. Blyftia. Etc. 



3. On flat open land : 



Phascum. Hy m eit us to m am. B r\ urn . 



Entosthodon. Weisa. Brachythecium. 



Fissidcns. Campylopus (small Riccia. 



Ditrichum. sps.). Kantia. 



Pleuridium. 



B._ After Forest of Wattle Plantation Fires. — The 

 huge forest fires which occasionally occur, and the plantation 

 fires which form a necessary process in wattle culture, are 

 quickl}' and almost invariably followed 'by a dense growth of 

 Funaria hygrometrica. Species of Entosthodon and Ditrichum 

 appear later on the soil ; Rhaphidostegium appears oil the tree- 

 stumps as soon as they begin to decay; Rhodobryum, Atrichum, 

 Pogonatum, Campylopus, Bryum, and Fossombronia come soon 

 if the soil is moist, while iif the soil is dry only Campylopus and 

 Rhaphidostegium become established bef<ire forest regrowth 

 alters the conditions again. 



