Bkown. — Oil the Genus Phascum. 303 



except at the apes, where they are minutely toothed by the 

 excurrent cells. Leaves, when dry, become convolute and in- 

 curved over the capsule. Ao'eolce near the base oblong-quad- 

 rate; upper, round, dense. Perichcetial leaves nearly one-half 

 longer, erect, acuminate, otherwise very similar to stem-leaves. 

 Fruitstalh very short, erect. Capsule immersed, subrotund, 

 cuspidate. Galyptra cucullate. Perigonia gemmaceous, at the 

 base of the branches. Anthcridia three to four. Paraphyses 

 numerous. 



Hab. Damp ground, in plantations near the Eiver Avon ; in 

 fruit from June to November, 



Phascum (Pleuridium) longifolium, nov. sp. 



Plants perennial, small, pale-green, growing in small, loose 

 patches. Stem, j^^jin.-Jin., branched. Branches fastigiate, 

 about x'&i'^- Leaves long, erecto-patent, linear-lanceolate, 

 acute or apiculate. Margin entire. Nerve continuous, ex- 

 current, forming the point of the leaf. Areolcz, lower long, 

 narrow, quadrate ; upper very small and dense ; when dry 

 convolute, and incurved over the capsule, completely hiding 

 it. Perichcetial leaves longer, nearly erect, linear-lanceolate, 

 acute or apiculate. Nerve continuous. Fruitstalk erect, very 

 short. Capsw/c immersed, oval, unsymmetrical. i?ea^ oblique, 

 acute. Galyptra cucullate. Monoecious. Perigonia gemma- 

 ceous at the base of the branches. 



Hah. Steep damp clay-banks, in warm situations, on the 

 Port Hills, fruiting a month later than P. lanceolatum. 



In this plant the leaves very much resemble in outline 

 those of P. lanceolatum ; they differ in being longer and more 

 numerous, and in the cells at the base of the leaves being 

 also much longer ; but the cells at the upper half of this 

 plant are one-half smaller and denser than the corresponding 

 ones of lanceolatum; the fruitstalk of longifolium is much 

 shorter, and the capsule has a different form. 



Phascum (Cycnea) arnoldii. 



Plants small, growing in a dense tuft, pale-green. Stem 

 very short, branched. Branches fastigiate, about ^in. Leaves 

 close-set, upper longest, sheathing near the base, subcon- 

 volute, straight or slightly falcate, recurving or incurved, 

 nerved. Perichcetial leaves shorter than the upper ones, 

 otherwise very similar. Fruitstalk short, curved. Capside 

 immersed among the leaves, rotund. Beak short, straight, 

 and narrow. Galyptra small, cucullate. 



Hab. Moa Creek (one of the small tributaries of the 

 Wilberforce), growing on rocks together with Andreas and 

 dark-brown Hepaticce. 



Specimen plant deposited in Christchurch Museum. 



