A CONTRIBUTION TO THE MOSS FLORA OF THE 

 NEIGHBOURHOOD. 



BY ALEX. S. GREENWAY, M.D., EDIN. 



The following list is a sequel to the short paper that appeared in the 

 Second Annual Report (1880) of this Society. A short description was 

 then given of a typical moss with the organs of fructification. Mosses, 

 it has been asserted, compose a fourth part of the entire vegetation of the 

 globe, so that they are well worthy of study. No doubt, in pre-existing 

 times, cryptogamous plants and especially mosses, predominated over 

 the earth ; but being an entirely cellular structure they have not been 

 fossilized like those higher plants of a woody structure. We find in 

 bogs which are composed principally of bog-mosses (Sphagnea) mixed 

 with species of feather mosses (HypnecB), Sec, that these bog mosses have 

 their roots embedded, and derive nourishment from decaying bog mosses, 

 &c. By penetrating deeper, we find these decayed mosses changed into a 

 kind of coal (bituminous material), and, in fact, coal consists of nothing 

 else but vegetable matter, and, in my opinion, principally mosses ; so 

 that from the large distribution of coal, we might infer that at one period 

 of the earth's existence, cryptogamous plants (ferns, mosses, &c.) formed 

 the principal part of the vegetation. No doubt it is no easy matter to 

 distinguish between some species of mosses. Especially do we find this 

 the case in the very large family of feather mosses. In fact, the most 

 accomplished bryologists would not specify some of these latter without 

 the aid of a microscope. Then again, we find species vary so much 

 according to habitat and other surrounding circumstances, that these 

 varieties have been given names by some, causing a multiplication of 

 names. Another cause for complaint is, that various authors have 

 changed the names of plants, and have given them others, causing great 

 confusion to amateurs. It is to be hoped, that the distinguished 

 bryologist, Dr. Braithvi^AITE, who has in the press a work on the 

 " British Moss Flora," will simplify matters considerably. In his work, 

 he is especially paying attention to the areolation or cell form of the 

 leaves of mosses. 



My Hst of mosses is small, but I hope to enlarge it at some future time. 

 I have gathered them along the banks of streams, roadsides, stumps of 



