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THE JOURNAL OF BOTANY 



the peristome, there is a very striking resemblance in many 

 features between this (with B. sahyadrense) and certain South 

 Indian species of Brachymenium. The vegetative characters are 

 so closely alike that it would appear often quite impossible from 

 sterile plants to tell to which genus a plant belonged. The cap- 

 sules in Areoclictyon also frequently show a marked departure from 

 the typical Bryum capsule, being inclined or suberect, nearly or 

 quite symmetrical, and frequently also microstomous — a very 

 usual character of Brachymenium — and it is indeed absolutely 

 indeterminal)le from the general character of the sporogonium 

 whether a plant belongs to Brachymenium or Areoclictyon. When 

 to this is added that the sole peristome characters by which the 

 § Areoclictyon can ultimately be separated from Brachymenium 

 are striolate outer teeth, low basilar membrane and long narrow 

 processes of the endostome, it will be obvious that a plant of the 

 nature of B. gJiatense, showing at once striate and estriate teeth, 

 a varying basal membrane, which may at times be almost obsolete, 

 and processes which more frequently than not are altogether un- 

 developed, offers a fruitful field to systematists, especially to the 

 school addicted to what may be described as micro-taxonomy. 



In tab. 513 (fig. 3cl) I have figured the most highly developed 

 (but less frequent) form of peristome. 



It is perhaps worth while to mention that there does not 

 appear to be any correlation between these peristome distinctions 

 and the vegetative characters of var. satarense. 



Bryum coronatum Schwaegr. Mauarghat, Malabar District, 

 500 ft. alt., Oct. 1910 (no. 1), c. fr. ; and Attapadi Hills, alt. 

 2300 ft., Oct. 1910 (no. 9), c. fr. ; leg. C. E. C. Fischer. 



B. argenteum L. Muttikulam bungalow floor, 3100 ft. alt., 

 Attapadi Hills, Sept. 1910; leg. C. E. C. Fischer (no. 3), c. fr. A 

 slender form, entirely different from the following. 



Var. AUSTRALE Rehm. MS. in sched. 



Syn. Bryum oranicum C. M. in Hedwigia, 1899, p. 68. 



Differs from the type in tlie very robust stems, turgidly 

 julaceous with the densely imbricate, suborbicular, cochleariform 

 leaves, the upper third or half hyaline, without chlorophyll. 



Hab. Castle Rock, Western Ghats, Oct. 1892 ; leg. G. A. 

 Gammie, comm. Sedgwick (no. 100), st. Attapadi Hills, 5000 ft. 

 alt., Oct. 1910 ; leg. C. E. C. Fischer (no. 10). c. fr. 



Of all the forms of B. arcjenteum I have seen, several of which 

 have been elevated to specific position, this is by far the most 

 marked, and 1 think well deserving of varietal rank. The seta is 

 rather long in the Attapadi plant, but otherwise the fruit does not 

 seem to offer any differences from that of B. arcjenteum. 



In searching through the material of B. argenteum at the 

 British Museum, I have found nothing at all comparable to the 

 plants in question except (a) Rehmann, M. austro-africani, no. 260. 

 This C. Midler made the type of his Bryum oranicum, but I am 

 fully in agreement with Brotherus (Engler &'Pva.r\t\, Pflanzenfam., 

 Musci, p. 586) in retaining for it varietal rank only, in which case 



