Brown. — On Neiv Zealand Musci. 455 



2. Dicranum pusillum, sp. nov. 



Plants small, slender, gregarious, growing in loose patches, 

 yellowish-green, about ^in. high. Stems nearly simple, branch- 

 ing by innovations. Leaves small, spreading, inserted all round 

 the stem, upper ones secund, linear-lanceolate, tapering to a 

 slender point, falcate. Margins entire, concave. Nerve continu- 

 ous to the apex. Areola quadrate, larger below, nearly erect, 

 slightly crisp when dry. PtrichcBtial leaves, innermost nearly a 

 half shorter than the outer, sheathing at the base, oblong, linear- 

 lanceolate, tapering into a slender point, concave. Margins 

 entire. Nerve continued to the apex. Fruitstalk terminal, 

 erect, bright-red, from j-^in.-Jgin. long. Capsule small, erect, 

 ovate. MoiitJi as wide as the capsule. Peristome single, 16, 

 bifid for about one-third of the length, united at the base. 

 Opercuhtm oblique, conico-rostrate, as long as the capsule. 

 Calyptra cucullate, reachmg the base of the capsule. 



Hab. Damp calcareous banks near Broken Eiver. Col- 

 lected by E. B. ; March, 1891. 



3. Dicramim variabile, sp. nov. 



Plants small, growing in dense patches, ^in. high, dark- 

 green. S^c?7is nearly simple, branched by innovations. Leaves 

 small, inserted all round the stem, erecto-patent, subulate 

 from a broad erect sheathing oblong or ovate base about 

 half the length of the leaves, semi-convolute. Margins and 

 back of the leaves papillose. Nerve concolorous, ending near 

 the apex. Upper areola dense, quadrate; loicer oblong. 

 Margins and upper half of leaves incurved when dry. 

 Perichcztial leaves erect, otherwise similar in form and size to 

 those in the middle and upper portion of the stem. Fruitstalk 

 terminal, nearly erect, fin. long, bright-red. Capside oblong- 

 ovate, variable in size. Peristome 16, bifid to near the middle, 

 and perforated. Cahjptra cucullate. 



Hah. Damp calcareous banks near Broken Eiver. Col- 

 lected by E. B. ; March, 1891. 



4. Dicranum erecto-thecum, sp. nov. 



Plants growing in large dense patches, lin.-li^in. high, 

 pale-green above, nearly white below. Stems slender, erect, 

 fragile, branching by innovations. Branches iew, fastigiate. 

 Leaves inserted all round. Stems erecto-patent, recurved or 

 suberect, linear-lanceolate, obtuse, semi-convolute. Margins 

 entire. Nerve ending below the apex. Upper areola small, 

 dense. Leaves crisped when dry. PerichcEtial leaves erect, 

 shorter and narrower than the upper ones, linear-lanceolate, 

 obtuse, semi-convolute. Margins entire. Nerve ending 

 below the apex. Fruitstalk terminal, fin. long, nearly erect, 

 red. Capsule erect, narrow ovate. Peristome single, small, 



