en ae 
wo Rt are j 
VI. 4 New Arr -angement of the Genus Polytrichum, with oie Emene 
dations. By Mr, Archibald Menxies, F.L.S. 
ita Bab ohty es ae t> 1797 
“T is not my intention to prefent you with a long and tedious 
hiftory of the genus! Polyirichum; my objeéts are merely to efta- 
blifh, by your fan@tion, what I-concéive’ to’ be’its true and obvious 
charaéteriftics, and to diferitninate the different” ‘fpecies, by laying 
before you, with’ due diffidence, the following ‘arrangement, in 
which you will readily perceive that I have added feveral new ones, 
and feparated fome of the moft con{picuous varieties: of authors 
into diftin@ fpecies: © This led ‘me! on to: form new. cient 
and to new-model the whole» genusit ) > bine ro) 9 
At the time this genus» was: firft: defcribed, there: were ‘but Ai 
{pecies of it known; confequently its character could-not be made fo 
general, ‘nor its ue complete, as when a.much: greater 
number of {pecies ‘are at’ once before usi: Indeed it is pretty evident 
that Linnzus took its charaéter chiefly from the Polytrichuns\ com- 
mune, and what were confidered as its varieties; as we find fo much 
ftrefs laid upon the apophyfis at the bafe of the capfule, that, for 
want ofthat 'fingle diftinction, three: fpecies' were then, excluded, 
and forced with difcordant charaéteriftics) into! another genus, ‘un- 
der the name of Masum: Polytrichoides; and varieties: and although 
fome of thefe have been fince reftored to their proper place, on ac- 
count of their natural affinity, yet we find but few: fatisfagtory at- 
tempts 
