J'LAdlOCHlLA. 283 



Extremely rare, no otlier stations known. 



Obs. — This very rare and minute species, about which many 

 botanists have had their doubts, has generally been referred to 

 the genus Plnf/iochila ; the constant presence of stipules along the 

 length of the whole stem, which remain, whilst the leaves fall oif, 

 and its peculiar habit, lead me to conjecture that it may belong 

 to some other genus, but until more perfect plants are found I 

 place it with the Plagiochila. 



Shortly before the lamented death of Dr. Spruce, I had some 

 correspondence with him about this plant. He had specimens of 

 what I considered small flagelliferous forms oi Flagiochila punctata 

 under this name, and his opinion was, that my plant (which 

 is an original specimen from Taylor) and the one collected by 

 Dr. Carrington was a new species. As the specimen I have fairly 

 agrees with Taylor's description, I have no desire to further 

 complicate this subject, and I name it P. exigua, Tayl., and 

 refer other small forms which do not agree with Taylor's specimen 

 to either P. punctata or P. spinulosa. Amongst these are to be 

 placed specimens published in C. & P. Hep. Brit. Ex. n. 15, 

 which were doubtfully referred to P. exigua. 



Dr. Carrington described and figured P. exigua with stipules 

 sometimes acutely bidentate ; in the fine specimens from Dr. 

 Taylor I have only been able to observe long, entire subulate 

 ones. Small, flagelliferous forms of Plag. punctata or Plag. 

 spinulosa are likely to be mistaken for it, but they are at once 

 distinguished by the absence of the long, subulate stipules. 

 The leaves having a very narrow base become easily detached 

 from the stem. A similar feature also has Plag. tridenticulata, 

 Tayl., which is a more robust species, of a darker colour, with 

 longer, sometimes trifid leaves, cells larger, and in this also the 

 numerous long stipules are absent. 



Description of Plate CXIX. — Fig. 1. Plants natural size. 

 2. Stem, antical view x 24. 3-9. Leaves x 85. 10. Portion 

 of leaf X 290. 11-13. Stipules x 85. (Original specimens from 

 Dr. Taylor, Cromaglowu, Ireland.) 



