Brown. — On the Genus Gymnostomiun. 299 



Gymnostomum ligulatum, nov. sp. Plate XXXV. 



Plants small, perennial, growing in dense patches, darkish- 

 green. Stem short, iV^-» branched. Branches fastigiate, 

 Jgin. Leaves crowded, spreading, or erecto-patent, ligulate 

 rounded at the apex, apiculate by the excurrent nerve, keeled. 

 Margins entire. Nerve same colour as the leaf, excurrent. 

 Perichcetial leaves much smaller than stem ones, otherwise 

 very similar. Fruitstalk slightly longer than the leaves. 

 Capsule large, ovate, subsymmetrical. Operculum oblique, 

 conic, tapering to the point, two-thirds the length of the 

 capsule. Calyptra not found. 



Hab. Port Lyttelton Hills, on damp banks, fruiting from 

 November to January. Collected, 1882, by E. 13. 



This plant differs from G. patulum, Knight, principally 

 in the mouth not being closed by a membrane, and in the 

 perichsetial leaves being shorter than the stem ones. 



Gymnostomum waimakaririense, nov. sp. Plate XXXVI. 



Plants small, perennial, growing in dense patches. Stem 

 Y^gin., branched. Branches fastigiate, ^e^^^- Leaves close-set, 

 erecto-patent. Upper leaves recurving, lanceolate, sharply 

 acuminate, semi-convolute, keeled. Margins entire. Nerve 

 excurrent. Upper areola dense, loioer oblong-quadrate. 

 Perichcetial leaves one-third longer than stem ones, linear- 

 lanceolate, very acuminate, tapering from a broad base. 

 Nerve excurrent. Fruitstalk -Jin. long, shorter than the 

 perichaetial leaves. Capsule subimmersed, ovate, symmetrical. 

 Operculum conico-rostrate, more than half the length of the 

 capsule. Calyptra cucullate. 



Hah. Damp ground, among willows, at the River Waima- 

 kariri. Collected, September, 1885, by E. B. 



Gymnostomum stevensii, nov. sp. Plate XXXVI. 



Plants small, perennial, growing in dense patches. Stem 

 very short, branched. Branches fastigiate, xV^- long. 

 Leaves closely crowded, spreading, or erecto-patent, linear- 

 lanceolate or acuminate, semi-convolute, slightly cucullate, 

 and incurved at the apex, keeled. Margins entire, sometimes 

 slightly incurved. Nerve excurrent, almost apiculate. Upper 

 areola dense, lower oblong-quadrate, crisped when dry. 

 Perichcetial leaves very long, linear-lanceolate, acuminate, 

 nerved. Frititstalk pale, ^^in. long. Capsule large, oval. 

 Operculum oblique, short, conico-rostrate. Calyptra not 

 found. 



Hah. Damp banks. Port Lyttelton Hills. Collected in 

 1882, by E. B. 



This plant is conspicuous, and easily distinguished by 

 its large capsule and long perichaetial leaves. I have named 



