BRYOPHYTA OF S. RHODESIA. 311 



Trichostomum rhodesiae Broth, in " Denkschr. der Math- 

 Naturwissensch. K.K. Akad.," Bd. 88, p. 735 (Musci). — Victoria 

 Falls, on trunks of trees; Brunnthaler, Victoria Falls, alt. 3,000 

 feet (Sim, 8901). Both sterile. 



I have not seen Brotherus' species, but the description fits 

 Sim's plant accurately. The leaves are described as "fragilia"; in 

 Sim's plant they are very markedly fragile, and the lamina of 

 the leaf appears to be often elongated into a narrow, ligulate, 

 highly fragile prolongation for reproductive purposes. 



Tortella caespitosa (Schwaegr) Limpricht. 



Syn Barbula afro-caespitosa CM. in "Hedwig.," 38, p. 109 

 (1899). Tortella afro-caespitosa Broth, in Engler and Prantl 

 "Pflanzenfam.," Musci," 1,397 (1902). — Mazoe, on Fatagura 

 Kiver, alt. 4,300 feet (Eyles, 712) c.fr. 



Barbula afro-caespitosa is certainly not to be separated from 

 the northern species; C. Mueller gives no distinctions between 

 them except for saying that the African plant is much more robust 

 in all its parts; but a glance through any herbarium containing a 

 good series of the northern species will show at once that this is 

 of no weight whatever. In fact the type of C. Mueller's species 

 is by no means specially robust. In all probability one or two 

 other "hyphenated species" described by C. Mueller in the same 

 place must equally go under this name; but I have not had time 

 to examine them critically. 



Tortella opara sp. nov. Dixon. 



Dense caespitosa, atro-viridis vel sordid e viridis, humilis. 

 Folia madida e basi erecta valde patentia vel subsquarrosa, sicca 

 circinato-mcurva, 3 mm. longa, e basi breviore hyalina paullo 

 latiore linealia, supra sensim paullo angustata, apice obtuso apicti- 

 lato, cucullato, fragilia, marginibus supra basin fortiter late 

 involutes, wide folia valde canaliculata subtubulosa ; costa ad basin 

 fusca, valida (60/a ad 75/x lata), supra concolor, vel pellucida, in 

 a pic ul a in lii/al/iiu in excurrens. Cellulae basilares hyalinae, sed 

 breviter rectangulares parietibus firmis ; nonnunquam, praecipue 

 juxtacostales longiores, lineares, parietibus tenuibus ; marginales 

 supra basi hand asceiidentibus ; superiores opacae, minutae, circa 

 5jLt ad 7fi, subrctundae, vel subquadratae, parietibus tenuibus, sub- 

 laeves. 



Propagula foliacea minitta elliptica ad caulis apicem rosulata, 

 hie illic vidi. 



Victoria Falls, alt, 3,000 feet (Sim, 8884, 8890). 



In absence of fruit this might be placed equally in Trichosto- 

 mum. It is distinct in the channelled leaves with widely involute 

 margins, as in species Weisia and Hymenostomum, but the size 

 and differentiated leaf base separates it from these. The terminal 

 rosettes of elliptical brood-leaves may not be constantly present, 

 but so far as they go they are characteristic. 



Tortella obtusifolia sp. nov. Dixon. 



Pusilla, caules circa 5 mm. alti. gregaria vel laxe caespitosi ; 



