Musci.~] 



FLORA OF NEW ZEALAND. 



97 



Hab. Northern and Middle Islands : Port Nicholson and Auckland, Sinclair. Otago, Lyall. (A 

 native of England.) 



Found in Britain, and common in all parts of the world. This can only be confounded with P.piliferum, which 

 has leaves suddenly attenuated into a longer piriform apex. P. juniperinum varies much according- to situation; 

 when growing in wet, boggy, or turfy places, the stems are elongated, slender, and the leaves less spreading ; in 

 this state it is P. strictum, Auct. 



Gen. XLI. DAWSONIA, Brown. 



Peristomium penicillatum, ciliis numerosissimis, capillaribus, erectis, sequalibus, inarticulatis, capsular 

 ore et columellas apice impositis. Calyptra subulata, latere fissa, indumento e villis intertextis vestita. 

 Capsula hinc plana, inde convexa. Operculum subulatum. — Habitus, folia, florescentia, etc., omiiino 

 Polytrichi. 



The character above given accords with the original specimen of D. polytriclwides. In that species, however, 

 the peristome appears to be double, the inner peristome adhering to the upper part of the columella, though, as in 

 all other cases, originating from the sporular sac, of which it is a continuation. The cilia of the entire peristome, 

 numbering 500 at least, or even 1000, appear to be disposed in about twelve concentric layers, three of which go 

 to the formation of the inner peristome. In D. superba there are eight to nine layers, and there the peristome ap- 

 pears to be single, no part of it being found to adhere to the columella. A further examination of both species in 

 a growing state is very desirable. The cilia are certainly capillary or cylindrical from the very base, and not, as 

 SchwEegrichen represents them, flat below and thence bent into a cylinder ; they are about ^Vo mcn i* 1 thickness, 

 and the diameter of the spores is about -j-gVo inch. 



1. Dawsonia superba, Greville; caule elongato, foliis e basi ovato-subrotunda amplexicauli longissime 

 linearibus rigidis spinoso-serratis erecto-patentibus, seta brevi crassa, capsula foliis subexserta, calyptra 

 parva pallidiore pilis lsevibus vestita.— Grev. in Ann. Nat. Hist. 



Hab. Northern and Middle Islands : Auckland, Sinclair. Tehawera, Colenso. Massacre Bay and 

 Port Cooper, Lyall. 



From 5 to 14 inches high. Leaves often 1 inch long, more erect and less crowded than in the other species, 

 their sheathing bases wider and more conspicuous, of a shining deep brown colour. Seta shorter and thicker. Ca- 

 lyptra smaller, paler, and less elegant, the hairs not rough, but woven together with slender, lateral, hairy branches. 

 — The leaves in some of the specimens overtop the capsule. Inflorescence dioicous. Fruit ripe in August. — It 

 is also a native of Tasmania. 



Incerta sedis. 



Gen. XLII. CALOMNION, Hook. fit. et Wils. 



Peristomium 0. Capsula erecta, annulata, oblonga, ore angustata. Operculum longirostratum. Calyptra 



dimidiata. Florescentia dioica; fl. mas. terminalis. — Folia trifaria; lateralia distiche patentia, verticalia, 



dorsalia stipuliformia accessoriave, cauli appressa. Surculi dense caspilosi, Hemes, nee innovationibus 



continuati, e rfdzomale subrepente perenni orti, erecti, strieti, complanati. 



This curious Moss may be regarded as the acrocarpous analogue of Hyptopteryglum, Bridel. In habit and 

 vegetation it is closely allied to TetrapMs and to Scldstostega. 



1. Calomnion latum, Hook. fil. et Wils. — Eucladon complanatum, Hooh.fil. et Wils. in Lond. Journ. 

 Pol. 1844,^. 538. (Tab. LXXXVII. Fig. 5.) 



Hab. Northern Island : Bay of Islands, on the stems of tree-ferns and dead trees, rare, J. D. H. 

 W aikehi, Sinclair. 



VOL. II. 2 c 



