PLANT NOMENCLATURE: A KEl'LV 1^39 



Par. ii. 1021 ; 1S92). Cliecsenian, on the otlier luiiul, ti'iinsfeiTed 

 Alepyrnin pallidiuii to Centrolepla (Man. N. Zeal. Fl. 757; 1900). 

 Dalla Torre and Harms followed Hieronyinus in treating- Gaimardia 

 pallida as the type of an independent genus which tliey cited as 

 Alepijmm Hieron., non U. Br. (Gen. Siphonog. r)2 ; 1900). Those 

 who accept the classification proposed by Hieronymus should, how- 

 ever, use a new name for the genus in question. liaillon's sectional 

 name Alrpyria has the merit of being unambiguous. 



17. The priority of the name of a family is not affected hy the 

 fact that the name as 'published did not end in -acese. The re- 

 placement of other terminations hy -acea3 is to he reyarded as an 

 orthoyraphic correction (see Journ. liot. 1922, (39). — Example: 



For purposes of priority the family name Dioscoreacece is con- 

 sidered as dating from 1810 — given on p. 69, by a typograpliical 

 error, as 1813 — when Robert Brown proposed the new family Dins- 

 corece (Prodr. i. 294), although the form Dioscoreacece was not used 

 until 1830 (Lindl. Nat. Syst. ed. 2, 359). In such cases the name of 

 the author who originally published the famil_y name should be 

 (juoted in parenthesis: Dioscoreacece (K. Br.) Lindl. 



A NEW VARIETY OF ORTHODONTIUM GRACILE Schwaegr. 

 Br W. Watson, B.Sc. 



In September 1920, Mr. Broome of Failsworth accompanied me 

 on a visit to some rocks between Greenfield and Crovvden. They are 

 known as Laddy Rocks, are formed of millstone grit, and are on the 

 Cheshire side of the watershed, at an altitude of 1700-1800 ft. 

 They form a precipitous escai-pment, below which are numerous and 

 large boUlders which have fallen from tlie heights above. On the 

 rock-ledges and among the boulders, many plants which are rare in 

 the district find suitable homes, since they are partially protected 

 from the sinoke-laden winds travelling from the industrial districts on 

 the boundaries of Lancashire, Yoi-kshire, and Cheshire. A number of 

 vascular plants which are unknown or rare on the other side of the 

 watershed still survive, and a few lichens, bearing apothecia freely, 

 show the less impure condition of the atmosphere. The blackened 

 rocks and the dirtiness of the heather give evidence showing that 

 much smoke filters here, and the present vegetation is merely a 

 remnant of that which existed a hundred j^ears ago. 



Amongst other interesting bryophytes we found Orthodontium 

 yracile, which my companion had noted, several years previously, on 

 the rock- ledges and on the faces of the boulders. This seemed so 

 different from the ordinary O. yracile that 1 queried its identity with 

 the typical plant, but was informed that it had been passed as correct 

 by a well-known bryologist. Microscopical examination convinced 

 me that the plant was cei'tainly Orthodontium, but that it differs in 

 so man}^ respects from the normal form of O. yracile as to deserve at 

 least a varietal name, and might even be worth specific status. 



Mr. Wheldon, who kindly examined a s})ccimen, confirmed my 



