bryophyta of s. rhodesia. 317 



Orthotrichaceae. 



. Orthotricium sp. Eyles (8). — Matopos, No. 1052. 

 [Ulota crispa B. and S. Matopos (Eyles, 1048). — Recorded by 

 Eyles (8). Dr. Sim has sent me part of this gathering, which 

 belongs to Ptychomitrium crispatum (Hook, and Grev.) Schimp.] 



Macromitrium confusum Mitt. — Zimbabwe, alt. 3,000 feet 

 (Sim, 8777, 8802, 8822). 



The South African species of the subgenus Macrocoma are 

 very perplexing, and I cannot claim to understand them. The 

 peristome here is quite absent, and the plants agree quite well with 

 Mitten's specimens of M. confusum at Kew. I therefore place it 

 here, but with some doubt whether the name may not have to 

 give way to some earlier one. 



Macromitrium mannii Jaeg. "Adumbr.," I., 421. 



Syn. M. menziesii Mitt, in "Journ. Linn. Soc," Bot. , VII, 

 152 (1863). M. undatifolium CM. in "Flora," 1886, p. 278. 

 M. rugifolium CM. e Broth., in "Engl. Bot. Jahrb.," 24, p. 241 

 (1897). 



Inyanga, alt. 6,000 feet. (Henkel, A.) 



I have compared this with Mitten's type, with which it agrees 

 quite well, as it also does with a specimen of M. undatifolium 

 (Ambosita, Madagascar, Rev. Soula, 1890) sent me by Cardot. I 

 have also compared M. rugifolium CM. (Dus., M. Camer., 263) 

 with Mitten's plant, and I am unable to find any valid specific 

 difference between the two. Brotherus in his description of 

 M. rugifolium separates it from 31. annii and 31. undatifolium 

 "rigiditate, foliis brevioribus, horride patulis, valde rugosis, apice 

 angustius serrulatis." I find, however, no difference whatever 

 in the Madagascar plant from 31 . rugifolium in the position or the 

 rugosity of the leaves; while they are more sharply toothed rather 

 than less so. They are perhaps a little longer, about 3 mm. as 

 compared with 2.5 mm. in 31 . rugifolium, but on the present plant 

 both can be matched by leaves from the same stem ; and the leaves 

 of Mitten's type of 31 . annii are often at least no longer than those 

 of M. rugifolium. 



Mitten's species is well represented at Kew, and is in good 

 fruit. Some of the ripe capsules are quite smooth, and others are 

 deeply plicate, the difference being due, probably, to some differ- 

 ence in their age at the time of drying. This makes one suspicious 

 as to the real distinctness of 31. per undid 'at u m Broth., which is 

 separated from 31. undatifolium and 31. rugifolium only by the 

 plicate capsule. 



General distribution: S. Thome, Cameroons, Madagascar. 



Rhachithecium transvaaliense (CM.) Broth. — Mazoe, Iron- 

 mask on tree trunks, alt, 5,000 feet (Eyles, 616b); Salisbury, 

 on tree trunk, alt. 4,900 feet (Eyles, 1573). The former c.fr., 

 the latter, a few sterile stems only; in both cases mixed with 

 Fabronia. 



