SOME XKAV OEXETtA OV ^VfOSSES 107 



This curious little moss lias distinct aliinity witli tlie reeentlj 

 described Chilian genus Co.s/esit/ Tlier., notably in the form and sti-ue- 

 ture of the very sponyy capsule, the lid, &c. Apart, however, from the 

 creepino- rhizomatous stems in the present plant, which ai)pear to 

 constitute a more than si)eciHc difference, the African species differs 

 altogether in size, habit, very concave piliferous leaves, c^c. 



1 have carefully dissected a fruiting stem without finding any 

 trace of d tlower or antheridia. It might be supposed that the steins 

 which I have described as sterile were the <^ stems, hut I have not 

 been able to find the c^ organs on them. The vaginula is remarkal)le 

 in its turgid onion -shajjed form, of spongy texture, with the upi)er 

 or ])ericluetial leaves densely crowded around it. 



(Edipodirlhi, which has similar creeping stems, differs at once in 

 the leaf-form and structure, and in the sessile or subsessile cleisto- 

 carpous capsule ; Goniomlirium in the sessile capsule and strong 

 nei-ve of the leaves ; PhyscomifreU'opsis (v. infra) in the stems not 

 creeping, the subsessile capsule, long Physcomitrelloid leaves, etc. 



Physcomitrellopsis Broth. & Wager, gen. no v. 



Stirps parva, habitu foliis(|ue PJn/scouu'frellcp ; calyi)tra magna, 

 thecam oinniiu) includens, infra inflata, rostro valido breviore. Theca 

 cleistocarpa. 



Physcomitrellopsis africana Broth. & Wager, sp. nov. ; 

 Broth. MS. in litt. ad Wager. 



Caules gi-egarii, terresti-es, virides, circa "5 cm. alti. Folia in- 

 feriora per])auca, parva, superiora (circa 6) comata, multo majora, 

 fiaccida, difiicillime madefacta, ]mtula, 8-4 mm. longa, e basi angus- 

 tiore elongata spathulato-lanceolata, acuminata, acumine lono-e, sub- 

 robuste, acutissime acutata. Costa tenuiuscula, nunc sub acumine 

 soliita, nunc cum acumine terminata, nunc longiiiscule excurrens. 

 Margines plani, aliquando integri, stepius supra medium folium obtuse, 

 raro acute, grosse denticulati, acumine ipso integerrimo. Areolatio 

 perlaxa, cellulis hasilaribus inagnis, rectangularibus, pellucidis, superi- 

 oribus elongate hexagonis, 25-40 /u latis, chl()ro])hyllosis, margina- 

 libus magis rectangularibus, nee tamen angustioribus, nee limbum 

 formantibus, omnibus parietibus teneris, facile collapsis. 



Autoica. Flos d parvus, ad caulis basin, paucifolius, foliis 

 brevibus, hi'eviter cuspidatis. Yaginula ])a]'va. Seta brevissima 

 circa •J') mm. longa, tenuis ; theca circa I'o mm. longa, elliptico- 

 globosa, brevissime obtuse apiculata, sine operculo dehiscente ; exo- 

 thecium valde leptodermicum. e cellulis; teneris hexagonis parietibus 

 teneribus instructum. Stomata ad basin sat numerosa, Funarioidea.- 

 Spori ad 80 ju. Calyptra immatura solum visum, pro planta majus- 

 cula, totam thecam parte infcriore inflata obtegens, rostro breviore 

 recto. 



Hab. Natal, War/rr. Type in herl). Brotherus. 



A quite distinct little plant, with very much the habit and 

 gametophyte characters of Pltj/i<comifrr^Ua, and a similar capsule, but 

 with a distinct seta and with quite different calyptra. 



