﻿MOSSES FROM MiTTEN's HERBARIUM 107 



anae suhorhicularia) obtusa vel obtuse apiculata, lateralia e basi 

 angustiore spathulato-oblonga, 3 mm. longa, acute apiculata, 

 omnia marginibus planis, subintegris vel eroso-crenulatis , perpel- 

 lucida; costa supra tenuis, flexuosa, ad % folii attingens, nee 

 furcata, ad basin dilatata. Rete laxum, e cellulis hexagonis, 

 supra (prope costae summitatem) 30-35 n, latis, pellucidis, apicem 

 et margines versus paullo minoribus, 1-2 seriebus marginalibus 

 multo minoribus, limbum aegre notatum formantibus; basin versus 

 multo laxioribus, elongate hexagonis, hyalinis; parietibus omnibus 

 tenuibus. 



Cetera ignota. 



Habitat: near Auckland, New Zealand, 1892, D. Petrie 800. 



This was submitted to Dr. Brotherus, who replied that it 

 appeared to be a very distinct species from the rest of the genus. 

 The habit and the subentire leaves mark it at once; while the 

 species of Distichophyllum with unbordered leaves {D. micro- 

 carpum [Hedw.] Mitt., etc.) differ radically in the minute areola- 

 tion of the marginal and juxta-marginal portion of the leaves. 

 Here the cells towards the margin are only slightly reduced in size, 

 except those of the actual marginal series, and these are of quite 

 a different character from those of the Distichophylla mentioned. 



Taxithelium polystictum (Mitt.) Jaeg. 



Among some mosses sent me by Mr. W. Gray from Mt. 

 Egmont, New Zealand, collected in January, 1912, I found a stem, 

 with a single capsule, of a Taxithelium, which on comparing with 

 the original of Hypnum polystictum Mitt, at Kew I found to be 

 identical with that species; the only difference being that the 

 stem leaves there usually want the longer, acuminate points shown 

 in the Mt. Egmont plant, are in fact more like the branch leaves. 

 The Kew specimen however is a mere scrap, and does not show the 

 stem leaves to advantage (Mitten's description in the Handbook 

 of the New Zealand Flora simply says, "leaves broadly ovate, 

 shortly acuminate," making no distinction between stem and 

 branch leaves). A stem from Mitten's herbarium shows several 

 of the stem leaves with the abrupt acuminate points. As the 

 fruit has not been recorded I append a short description: 



Perichaetium sat magnum, 3.5 mm. altum, pallidum, cylin- 

 dricum, bracteis numerosis, externis parvis, patentibus, breviter 

 aristatis, dentatis, medianis suberectis, argute dentatis, longius 



