ORYOPHYTA OF S. RHODESIA. 313 



Hyophila zei/heri (Hampe) Jaeg. — Zimbabwe Ruins, alt. 

 3,000 feet (Sim, 8751, 8764, 8799); Khami Ruins, alt. 5,000 feet 

 (Sim, 8864); Matopos, alt, 5,000 feet (Sim, 8852); 8799 is in 

 fruit, the rest sterile. 



General distribution : Cape Province, Natal, Transvaal, Por- 

 tuguese East Africa. 



Weisiopsis plicata (Mitt.) Broth, in "Oefv. af Finsk. Vet.- 

 Soc. Foerh.," LXII, No. 9 (1920).— On stone, mouth of cave, 

 mostly in shade, Salisbury, alt, 5,200 feet (Eyles, 2282). 



This little species, Hyophila plicata of Mitten, is placed by 

 Brotherus in the new genus Weisiopsis, distinguished from 

 Hyophila by the thin-walled, more or less plicate, peristomate 

 capsule; and comprising five known species, the remaining four 

 being confined to Eastern Asia. 



General distribution : Usagara, Madagascar. 



Didi/modon afer (CM.) Broth.— Victoria Falls, alt. 3,000 

 feet (Sim, 8952). ' 



General distribution : Cape Province, Transvaal. 

 Wager (9) states of this species, "common"; but I rather 

 doubt the accuracy of this comment. 



Barbula indica Brid. syn. Barbula natalensis CM. — Bulawayo 

 (Sadler, 982 in herb. G. Webster) St. Earth bank, banks of the 

 Zambesi, near Victoria Falls, alt, 3,000 feet (Eyles, 1309) c.fr. 



This belongs to a perplexing series of species of very similar 

 habit and leaf form and structure, the difficulty of determination 

 being greatly increased by their being frequently sterile, and by 

 the fact of their belonging to two groups, differing from one another 

 materially in the peristome, while perhaps not exhibiting any 

 marked vegetative differences; some having the peristome long, 

 twisted and fully Barbuloid ; while in others the teeth are short, 

 scarcely twisted, as in Didymodon and Triehostomum. They are 

 similar in the ligulate or lingulate outline of the leaf, obtuse or 

 very shortly pointed, often cucullate apex, the small obscure upper 

 cells, and especially the back of the very prominent nerve strongly 

 papillose, often verrucose, above. The best known of these is the 

 present species, known also as Triehostomum orientale Willd., 

 occurring also in Madagascar, the Comores and Seychelles. The 

 South African species is quite inseparable from it. Four or five 

 African species of the group have been described, of which the 

 following B. stuhl Hiau nii is one; it is probable that some reduc- 

 tion may be made when the plants have been more closely studied, 

 as the species are mostly based on slight vegetative characters 

 which may be inconstant or varietal merely. 



General distribution : India, Malay Peninsula, East Indies, 

 Borneo, Tonkin, Formosa, New Guinea, Madagascar, Comores, 

 Seychelles, Natal, ( ?) Portuguese East Africa. 



