lOG THE JOURXAL OF EOTAXY 



liaLit, leaf-form, and structure, and especially in the lai'ge, len- 

 ticular, characteristic apical g-emniie, however, it shows a reniirk- 

 al)le likeness to the Euro])ean species, and I have retained it in that 

 family, although it has some decided affinities with the Fioia- 

 riacrce. The creeping, rhizomatous stems recall Gigaspermum and 

 the new genus Oiamcebrgnm descrihed below. 



The small quantity of fruit available leaves a certain amount of 

 doubt as to the fruiting characters. The lid is very small, forming 

 a minute disk with a comparatively long, straight, needle-like beak ; 

 in a nearly mature capsule this is so clearly defined and differentiated, 

 at the rim, from the capsule- wall that it has every appearance of 

 being intended to function as a dehiscent lid. On the other hand, a 

 capsule which has naturally shed its spores appears to have broken up 

 cpiite irregularly, and a nearly mature capsule when subjected to 

 slight pressure under a cover-glass broke up quite irregularly, leaving 

 the lid in situ. The soft succulent texture of the capsule-wall also 

 is strongly suggestive of a cleistocarpous fruit. 



Fuxariace.t:. 

 ChamaBbryum Ther. & Dixon, ^^w. nov. 

 Cosfeaice Ther., generi chilensi (Rev. Chilena de Hist. Nat. xxi. 

 (1917) p. 12) Iribitu, thec:e structura atque textura valde affine ; 

 sed caulibus repentibus, subterraneis, rhizomaticis, pallidis, ramisque 

 propter folia ])erconcava, imbrieataque gemmiformibus, theca(pie 

 erecta, symmetrica, bene notatum. 



Chamsebryum pottioides Ther. & Dixon, sp. nov. 



Stirps minuta, phascoidea vel pottioidea, terresti'is. Caules sub- 

 terranei, rej^entes, rhizomatici, pallidi, succulenti, ramos emittentes 

 steriles atque fructiferos. Rami steriles gemmiformes, subglobosi, 

 1-2 mm. alti, virides vel pallidi, e foliis imbricatis, siccLs vix mutatis, 

 perconcavis, spathulato-orbicularibus instructi. Costa tenuis, infra 

 apicem cochleariformem, ol)tusam vel a]>iculatam desinens. Margines 

 plani, integerrimi. Celluhe basilares perlaxa% late rectangulares, 

 hvalinffi, serie unica marginal! breviores, quadratic; superiores sensim 

 niinores, hexagome, rotundato-quadrata?, &c., circa 10-15 /^ latie, 

 maro-inales parum minores, omnes parietibus tenuibus, pellucidie. 



Kami fructiferi similes, sed siiepe minores, foliis plus minusve 

 arlstatis, supremis arista piliformi, flexuosa, hyalina, folio subicqui- 

 longa, integerrima terminatis. 



Theca subglobosa vel globoso-urceolata, 1 mm, longa ; seta sub- 

 [Bcpialis vel paullo longior, pallide rubra, crassiuscula. Vaginula 

 turo'ida, s]:)ongiosa, e basi latiore conica. Operculum raajuseulum, 

 plano-mamillatum. Exothecii rete perspongiosum, molle, e cellulis 

 laxis mollissimis subhexagonis compositum, infra orificium cellulis 

 seriebus 5-6 minoribus. transverse rectangularibus. Annulus 0. 

 Peristomium nullum. Spori 30-35 /x, baud omnino maturi. Calyptra 

 baud visa. 



Dioicum videtur. Flores c^ baud visi. 



Hab. Cape Town, 1917 ; Wa<jtr (633) c. fr., (654-, ij-)^ st. 



