BY L. RODWAY. 223 



1913. 



FAM. 12.— NECKERACEAE. 



Habit very varied, generally robust, seldom in dense 

 cushions. Lea,ves plurifarious 'but often complanate, 

 usually thin and smooth ; nerve sometimes well developed, 

 often obsolete, and then sometimes double. Cells in most 

 cases short, small and incrassate ; in other species much 

 elongated. Fruit lateral except in Hedwif/ia and Hed- 

 avigidium where it is terminal or apparently so; seta 

 usually short, sometimes nearly absent, rarely long; capsule 

 small, oblong and operculate except in Pleurophascum 

 where it is large, globose and astomous ; lid conic or short- 

 ly rostrate ; calyptra cucullate or mitriform ; peristome 

 double the exostome of 16 lanceolate teeth; endostome 

 wuth a basal membrane and 16 slender processes, cilia 

 usuallv absent ; from this condition the development is 

 reduced in genera till the peristome is quite absent. 



The family is not a natural one. It is made up of divers 

 forms that do not fit in well with the other Pleuracarpi. 

 They may be conveniently groujDed in five sub-families. 



Sub-family. Spiridentaceae. Leaves veiy narrow, the 

 upper portion consisting of the excurrent nerve ; cells 

 rotundo-quadrate. 



EcHiNODiUM. Branches few, long ; seta long. 



Cyrtopus. Branches few, short ; seta short. 



Sub-family. Lembophyllaceae. Dendroid to long and 

 pendulous sometimes with equal branches, rarely pinnate. 

 Leaves concave, broad, of thin texture, nerve generally 

 obsolete or double and obscure, when more developed van- 

 ishing above the middle ; cells from oblong to vermiform. 

 Seta short, sigmoid. 



Thamnium. Small, vaguely branched, cells ovate, 



nerve lost above the middle. 

 Lembophyllttm. Medium size; branching pinnate or 

 vague ; nerve obsolete or broad and dissolving, cells 

 oblong or fusiform, rarely linear. 

 Weymouthia. Elongated with long branches; nerves 

 two, short and very faint ; cells vermiform or 

 linear, often oblong at apex. 

 Camptochaete. Dendroid. Leaves rather complanate; 



nerves 2, obsolete; cells vermiform. 

 Papillaria. Elongated, pendulous ; nerve single van- 

 ishing above the middle, surface more or less papil- 

 lose ; cells oblong to fusiform. 



Sub-family. Cryphaeaceae. Habit more or less dendroid; 



