Bkown. — On the Gemis Gymnostomum. 297 



included them in this paper, but have left them to be placed 

 in their proper position hereafter. 



There are but two species described in the Handbook — 

 viz., G. tortile and G. calcareum. 



G. tortile is distinguished from all the other New Zealand 

 species yet found by the regular incurving of the margins of 

 its leaves. It is also a native of Britain and other parts of 

 Europe. 



G. calcareum I have collected at Castle Hill on the "West 

 Coast Eoad, and also at the Weka Pass. It was found on wet 

 banks, in dense, irregular pulvinate patches, often very large, 

 fruiting sparingly. The plant I have identified as G. calcareum 

 I have drawn on PL XXXV. 



Mr. Knight describes five species of this genus in the 

 paper before referred to— -viz., G. jpatulum, G. knightii, 

 G. sulcatum, G. areolatum, and G. angustatum. He also de- 

 scribes a variety of G. calcareum which he has named var. 

 intermedia. 



G. ixitulum. — There is a note attached to the description of 

 a moss {Weissia flavipes) in Hooker's Handbook, p. 404, which 

 states that Mr. Wilson, who examined the Auckland form of 

 this moss very carefully, suggested that it was probably a dif- 

 ferent species from W. flavipes, on account of his finding no 

 trace of a peristome, and proposed to name it Gymnostomiom 

 patulum. Mr. Knight does not mention whether it is this 

 particular moss or another species which he has thus named 

 (G.patuhim). Knight's plant is described as having the mouth 

 •of the capsule closed by a membrane, and having crisp leaves. 

 These two characters would make this plant a most distinct 

 species ; but in the figure representing the whole plant the 

 fruitstalk is drawn twice the length of the leaves, while in the 

 description it is described as no longer than the leaves. Also, 

 in the enlarged drawing of a leaf (vol. vii., pi. xxviii., fig. c) it 

 is drawn as if the margins of the leaf had a thickened border, 

 or were either incurved or recurved, which is also not de- 

 scribed, leaving it doubtful which is correct. 



G. knightii is one of the most distinct species in this genus, 

 and is readily identified. It grows in Hagley Park, in the 

 Domain, and round the neighbourhood of Christchurch. 



G. calcareum, var. intermedium. — In the enlarged figure of 

 the leaf of this plant a thickened border is shown, which is 

 not described. This is evidently a mistake, as G. calcareum 

 has not a thickened margin. 



G. sulcatum. — This plant occupies a rather anomalous 

 position by being placed in the genus Gymnostomum, as the 

 furrowed capsules of this moss point to the genus Zygodon 

 as being the proper place for it, there being a gymnostomous 

 section in that genus which has also sulcate capsules and 



