MOENOHIA QUATERNELLA 365 



Old Calabar : Octohlcphanun albidiim Hedw., c. fr., on oil palm, 

 May, 1900; Cahpnpeycs^Hijojjhilma) megamitriiim 0. MiilL, c. fr., on 

 oil palm, May, 1900; Eciropotheciiim, [Vesicularia) oyeadelplium (C. 

 MiilL) Broth., c. fr., on trees, May, 1900. 



Explanation of Plate 427. 

 Figs. 1-10. — Tortilla [Si/iityichia) lirostrata Mont. 1. Part of plant, about 

 nat. size. 2. Stem-leaf (slightly flattened i x 17. 3. Apex of same x 100. 



4. Areolation of same, at one-third from the apex, showing the limb x 270. 



5. Marginal areolation of the same, near the base x 170. 6, 7. Transverse 

 section of the same at about the middle, showing the revolute margin x 270. 

 8. Perichaetial leaf (flattened) x 20. 9,10. Two capsules x 10. 



Figs. 11-13. — PogonaUim microstomum E. Br. ex Schwaegr. ' 11. Transverse 

 section of a leaf, froln an Indian specimen, x 270. 12, 13. Marginal cells of 

 lamella, lateral view, x 270 — 12, from an Indian specimen ; 13, from a Chinese 

 specimen. 



Figs. 14, 15. — Lyellia crispa K. Br. 14. Part of a transverse section of a 

 leaf X 270. 15. Lamella, lateral view x 270. 



(In the preceding part of these Notes, p. 340, line 16 from foot, the number 

 of this plate is wrongly given as 420.) 



MOENOHIA QUATERNELLA : 



ITS Early History and Geographical Distribution. 



By Frederic N. Williams, F.L.S. 



The genus Moenchia was founded by Ehrhart (Beitr. ii. p. 178 

 [1787] ) in honour of Conrad Mouch, a professor at Marburg, and 

 author of a Flora of Lower Hesse, upon the Sagina erecta of 

 Linnoeus, which he named M. quaternella . The earliest reference 

 to M. quaternella is as a British plant by John Ray-'' in 1670, of 

 which he gives the following account : — " Holosteum minimum 

 tetrapetalon, sive Alsine tetrapetalos caryophylloides. 2'he least 

 Stitchwort. Radix ei alba, fibris donata. Caulicnli plures semi- 

 palmares, tenues, infirmi, rotundi, rubentes, crebris geniculis 

 intercepti. Ad singula genicula apponuntur folia ex adverse bina, 

 caulem fere amplectentia, dimidium vix digitum longa, e basi 

 latiuscula in acutum mucronem sensim desinentia. Flores in 

 summitatibus ramulorum albi, quadrifolii, e calyce quadrifolio, qua 

 nota a reliquis hujus generis omnibus satis distinguitur. Vere 

 floret, in glareosis sterilioribus frequens." 



In the second edition, to the same description " C " is added in 

 the margin, indicating those plants which are to be found in the 

 neighbourhood of Cambridge ; though "the least stitchwort" is 

 not mentioned in Ray's earlier work. Catalogue. Plantariun circa 

 Cantahrigiam, published anonymously in 1660. Though not de- 

 finitely mentioned, its implied occurrence in the neighbourhood of 

 Cambridge in 1677 is the first locality-record for the plant. There 

 were, however, two supplements to the Cambridge Catalogue ; the 

 first printed in 1663, and the second printed in 1685. It is in this 

 second appendix, as it is called, compiled by John Ray and 



♦ Gatalogus Plantanm Anglice, ed. i. p. 168 (1670) ; ed. ii. p. 168 (1677). 



