FOSSOMBRONIA MITTENII. 45 



leaf. Colesula large for the size of the plant, crenulate, widely open 

 at the mouth, situated either singly or in pairs at the apex of the 

 shoot. Spores large, -047 in diameter, yellowish brown, closely 

 covered with darker brown papillae ; papillae very numerous, 

 averaging about 110 on the face and edge of each spore, finely 

 pointed, projecting like spines from the edge of the spore, so as to 

 give it a spinulose appearance. FAaters narrow, of medium length, 

 with two spiral threads, rarely three ; spiral threads loosely twisted. 

 Probably monoicous ; all the plants examined bear fruit, but, being 

 fully matured, there are no traces of antheridia. 



Habitat. Bank on the side of the road between Parracombe 

 and Braunton, North Devon. Legit W. Mitten, Aug. 1875. 



Note. — Fossombronia Mittenii belongs to the group of Fossom- 

 bronice characterized by the papillose markings on their spores ; in 

 this division F. ccespitiformis De Not. and F. Uusnoti Corb. are the 

 only hitherto recorded European species, F. papillata St. having 

 been found in Queensland, F. Wrightii Aust. in Cuba, and F. verru- 

 cosa Lindbg. in Algiers. In F. caspitiformis and F. Husnoti the 

 papillcT are large, obtuse, comparatively far apart, and number from 

 twenty to twenty-five on the face and edge of each spore. In 

 F. iwpillata the papilla are smaller and more numerous than in the 

 two previously mentioned species, numbering about eighty on the 

 face of each spore. Compared with F. Mittenii, the plant in 

 F. 2J(ipiil(ita is larger, the texture of the leaves coarser, the areo- 

 lation closer and more rectangular, and the papillae on the spores 

 larger, more obtuse, and less numerous. Fossombronia Wrif/htii is 

 easily recognized by the dark crimson opaque spores, covered witli 

 very dark rounded papillae, projecting only slightly from the surface 

 of the spore ; the papillae are about equal in size and number to 

 those in F. papillata. I have not been able to examine the type 

 gathering of F. verrucosa Lindbg., but from Professor Lindberg's 

 description it appears to differ from F. Mittenii in the less distinct 

 and less finely pointed papillae, and the coarse three to four or five 

 spiral threads in the elaters. (This species is not present in all the 

 packets distributed as F. ccespitiformis De Not. in Eabenhorst's 

 Hep. Eur. No. 439, gathered by Major Paris at Mouzaiaviiie, 

 January, 1867. M. Corbiere failed to find any species but F. 

 ccespitiformis in two packets, and I have been equally unsuccessful 

 in a third.) 



Fossombronia Mittenii was found by Mr. Mitten in North Devon 

 in the month of August, 1875, and was then laid aside with other 

 gatherings for future identification. In working through his col- 

 lection, which he kindly lent me during the past summer, I had the 

 pleasure of identifying it as a new species, and with his permission 

 I now publish it as Fossombro7iia Mittenii. 



