334 BRYOPHYTA OF S. RHODESIA. 



with P. spath ulatum in all respects except that the lid is furnished 

 with a short erect blunt beak, or apiculus, while that of P. spathu- 

 latum is described as hemispherical; and some of the South African 

 plants certainly have a lid without any apiculus. However among 

 my gatherings I find so much variety in the lid, from being hemis- 

 pherical when moist and slightly apiculate when dry, through 

 many degrees of rostellation to that of Mitten's specimen that I 

 think the distinction cannot be maintained. Mitten, I should 

 add, does not describe his P. poculiforme, and I have no reason 

 to suppose that he intended to separate it on the ground of its 

 lid, indeed the name distinctly implies that it was not so; it is 

 more probable that he was not acquainted with C. Mueller's 

 species. 



Erpodiaceae. 



Erpodium distichum Wager and Dixon. — Hellet's Concession,, 

 Magude, alt, 500 feet (Sim, 8988). 



Hypnacae. 



Ectropothecium brevisetum sp. nov. Dixon. 



E minutissimis generis. Coticola; caules densissime inter- 

 texti, perbreves, irregulariter subpinnatim ramosi, ramis brevis- 

 simis; laete virides; folia percomplanata, late patentia, sicca vix 

 mutata, parva, vix 1 mm. longa, ovatc-lanceolata, breviter anguste 

 acuminata, integerrinia, ecostata ; cellulae angustissime lineares, 

 laevissimae, basin versus parum latiores, ad angulos paucae sub- 

 quadratae, laxiuscidae, chloi-ophyUosae. 



Autoicum. Folia perichaetialia caulinis similia sed longius, 

 angustius acuminata, erect a, integia, vel subdenticulata. Seta 

 perhreris, 4 mm. ad 6 mm. alta, tenuissima', pallida; theca 

 pendula vel subpendula, minutissima, 0.75 mm. longa, pallide 

 fusca, turgide elliptica, basi in setam abrupte contracta, operculo 

 pallido, conico-rostellato. Peristomii dentes flavidi, inferne pulchre 

 transverse striolati, superne papillosi. Spori circa 14/x. 



Habitat: Shirindjen, at low altitude (Junod, 331). 



A pretty little species, very near my E. dummeri from 

 Uganda (5), but of a bright green, with more narrowly acuminate 

 leaves, narrower cells, and a shorter seta. The very flat, smooth 

 tufts are marked. 



Rhaphidostegium brachycarpum (Hampe) Jaeg. — Shirindjen 

 (Junod, 328, 328b, 330). 



References. 



(1) Brotherus, V. F. — "Musci," Wissensch; Ergebn. der 

 Deutschen Zentral-A frika-Exped. , 1907-1908, unter Fuehrung 

 Adolf Friedrichs, Herzogs zu Mecklenburg, Bd. II, Botanik. 



