Splachnum.-\ APLOPERISTOMI. 37 



stalks which are often flexuose. In addition to S. gracile which 

 Mr. Turner, and following him, Dr. Mohr, have already justly 

 united to S. sphcericum, we have to add, as the former author 

 suspected, on the examination of specimens sent from Mr. 

 Dickson, his own S. rugosum. The plants, indeed, figured in 

 English Botany under this name> have the appearance of S. 

 vasculosum, but the leaves are acuminate, which is not the case 

 in our S. vasculosum. Schwaegrichen, who contends that S. gra- 

 cile is specifically distinct from sphcericum., does so principally 

 on the ground that the leaves of the one are serrated and those 

 of the other entire, a rule which does not hold good, as far as 

 our experience will enable us to decide ; and we equally think 

 his other characters are not to be relied on ; as, for instance, 

 what he introduces into the specific character respecting the 

 green hue of the apophysis of S. sphcericum, a circumstance 

 which is observable in every young individual of the genus, and 

 which changes as they advance in age, when that of S. sphceri- 

 cum becomes dark brown, with a yellow capsule. 

 2. S. tenue ; leaves obovato-acumiriate serrated, apophysis obconi- 

 cal narrower than the capsule, columella exserted. (TAB. 

 IX.) 



Splachnum tenue. Dicks. Crypt. Fasc. 2. t. 4. /. 2. Smith, Fl. Brit, 

 p. 1171. Engl. Bot. t. 1133. Hobson, Brit. Mosses, v. 2. n. 11. Hook. 

 Fl Scot. P. II. p. 124. Drummond, Muse. Scot. v. 2. n. 15. Arn. 

 Disp. Muse. p. 12. 



S. serratum. Hedw. Sp. Muse. t. 8. /. 1 3. Schwaegr. Suppl. v. 

 1. p. 49. Funck, Deutschl. Moose, t. 7. n. 5. Brid. Meth. p. 106. 

 S. longicollum. Dicks. Crypt. Fasc. 4. t. 10 ? * 

 S. flagellare. Brid. Meth. p. 106. 

 S. helveticum. Schleich. Cat. 

 Grimmia splachnoides. Smith, Fl. Brit. p. 1197. (not E. Bot.j 



HAB. Scotch mountains, upon the ground, in very ele- 

 vated situations ; on turfy soil. On Ben Lawers, most 

 abundant. 



* Mr. Brown has remarked to us that this species ha% never been found in 

 Britain ; the specimens in the Banksian Herbarium having been brought from the 

 North West coast of America by Sir Joseph Banks, and Mr. Menzies. Mr. 

 Arnott, nevertheless, doubts if it should not be considered as a variety of S. 

 tenue. 



C 3 



