TORTULACE^E.] 284 'Leersia. 



4. LEERSIA RHABDOCARPA (Schwaegr.} Lindb. 



Autoicous ; densely csespitose. Leaves oblongo-lanc., rather acute 

 nerve vanishing or excurrent. Caps, sub-cylindric, with 8 16 erect 

 striae; cal. scabrous at apex, per. of 16 lanceolate teeth. (T. XLII, D.) 



SYN. Leersia vulgaris ft. alpina BRID. muse. rec. II, P. I, 53 (1798). 



Encalypta rhaptocarpa SCHWAEG. Suppl. I, P. I, 56, t. 16 (1811). ROEHL. Deutsch. 

 fl. iii, 53 (1813). FUNCK Moost. 12, t. 7 (1821). GREV. Scott, cr. fl. t. 163 (1825). BRID. 

 Mant. 29 (1819), Bry. univ. i, 142 (1826). HOOK. TAYL. Muse. br. 2 ed. 64, T. Suppl. 2, 

 (1827). NEES HORNSCH. Bry. germ, ii, P. I, 38, t. 14, f. 2 (1827). HUEBEN. Muse, 

 germ. 102 (1833). MACK. Fl. hib. P. 2, 13 (1836). DE NOT. Syll. 265 (1838), Epil. 

 bri. ital. 323 (1869). BR. SCHIMP. Bry. eur. fasc. 4, p. 13,1. 6 (1839). RABENH. Deutsch. 

 kr. fl. ii, S. 3, 171 (1848). C. MUELL. Synops. i, 520 (1849). WILS. Bry. br. 144, 

 t. 32 (1855). SCHIMP. Synops. 287 (1860), 2 ed. 342. BERK. Handb. br. m. 247 (1863). 

 MILDE Bry. siles. 182 (1869). LINDB. in Act. soc. sc. fenn. 268 (1872). HOBK. Syn. 

 br. m. 75 (1873). JURATZ. Laubm. oesterr.-ung. 215 (1882). LESQ. JAMES Mosses N. 

 Amer. 181 (1884). 



Encalypta ciliata y. rhaptocarpa HOOK. TAYL. Muse. br. 36 (1818). GRAY Nat. arr. br. 

 pi. i, 726 (1821). 



Leersia rhabdocarpa LINDB. muse, scand. 20 (1879). 



Autoicous ; densely tufted and radiculose, resembling L.exstinctoria. 

 Leaves when wet erecto-patent, when dry somewhat twisting, ovato 

 and oblongo-lanceolate or ligulate, concave at base, flattish, nerve 

 rufescent, vanishing at apex or excurrent in a mucro or yellowish hair, 

 upper margin crenulate with papillose cells, basal lax, hyaline or 

 rufescent, very narrow at margin. Inner perich. bracts shorter, oblong, 

 aristate ; vaginula short, expanded at apex like a plate ; calyptra straw- 

 coloured, sublacerate at base, scabrous at apex ; caps, narrowly ovate 

 or sub-cylindric, pale fuscous with 8 16 rufous erect striae, when dry 

 deeply sulcate, with a hemispherical hypophysis ; annulus simple, lid 

 convex, subulate, shorter than caps. ; teeth lanceolate, remotely articu- 

 late, entire or perforated ; spores green, verruculose. Male infl. lateral, 

 bracts ovate, shortly acuminate. 



HAB. On the ground and crevices of rocks in alpine districts. Fr. 7 8. 



Ben Bulben, Sligo (Mackay). Ben Lawers and Craigailleach (Gremlle). Ingleboro 

 (Nowell 1857) ' Largo Links (Howie 1864) ! ! Ptarmigan m. (Rogers 1876). 



At first sight much resembling L. exstinctoria, but easily separated by 

 the longitudinally striate capsule, and presence of a peristome. 



5. LEERSIA CONTORTA (Wulf.) Lindb. 



Dioicous ; tall, densely tufted. Leaves lingulate, obtuse, nerve 

 scabrous at back, vanishing at apex, cells strongly papillose. Caps, 

 cylindric, deeply spirally 8-sulcate ; cal. scabrous at apex; per. 

 double, outer of 16 subulate teeth, inner of shorter cilia. (T. XLII, E.) 



