Weissia.-] APLOPERISTOMI. 83 



this moss to distinguish it from W. crispula. In our plant the 

 leaves are shorter, wider, carinate, and have their margins re- 

 curved ; while in W. crispula they are truly subulate, rather 

 canaliculate, and have no recurvation whatever of the margin. 

 The capsules are alike in both. 



1 2. W. tenuirostris ; leaves linear-acuminate undulate waved and 

 ' plane at the margin, capsule ovato-cylindrical, lid rostrate 



erect as long as the capsule. (SUPPL. TAB. III.) 



HAB. Moist rocks ; in fructification at Campsie, near 

 Glasgow, Scotland. About Powerscourt Waterfall, 

 near Dublin, common, but barren. 



We have frequently met with the barren stems of this plant, 

 but it was not till we discovered it in fructification that we 

 were able to determine upon its being a new species. Stems 

 light green, flaccid, loosely tufted, about an inch long, branched, 

 the branches spreading. Leaves lax, spreading, half an inch in 

 length, keeled, flexuose, entire, waved at the margins, which 

 are not at all recurved, their substance is rather thick, yet 

 tender, composed of very minute cellules, so as to have no 

 appearance of being reticulated, their nerve is strong and 

 reaches to the point. Fructification very rare; fruitstalks 

 scarcely an inch long, pale reddish-yellow, often two springing 

 from the same perichaetium ; capsule ovato-cylindraceous, erect, 

 with its sides unequal ; lid subulate, straight, as long as the 

 capsule, reddish-yellow ; calyptra dimidiate. Peristome of 16 

 rather short, horizontal, equidistant, linear-subulate, somewhat 

 torulose red teeth, with occasionally an oblong perforation near 

 the base. The general habit of this plant is quite peculiar 

 among the Weissice, having loosely entangled, spreading stems, 

 and remarkably flaccid, patent leaves, beset with remarkably 

 flexuose and spreading leaves, in these last particulars approach- 

 ing to Trichostomum Barbula, ( Schwaegr.) and still more to 

 Tortula tortuosa. The peristome, however, which we have ex- 

 amined in perfect specimens, is unquestionably that of a Weissia, 

 and covers the mouth of the capsule horizontally, as in W. fu- 

 gax, the leaves of which are not unlike, in consistence, to those 

 of W. tenuirostris. Among the individuals of this genus, its 

 nearest affinity in the general form of the leaves and cylindrical 



F2 



