26 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 69 



PLEUROPUS SERICEUS (Hornsch.) Broth. 

 Loc. 3,630 meters, No. 1591. In small quantity, sterile. 



BRACHYTHECIUM IMPLICATUM (Hornsch.) Jaeg. 

 Loc. 3,630 meters, No. 1599. On twigs, etc. 



RHYNCHOSTEGIELLA KENIAE Dixon, sp. nov. 



(Plate 2, fig. 13) 



Caules valde intricati, elongati, mollissimi, tenerrimi, 5 cm. longi 

 vel ultra, vage subpinnatim ramosi, iter iterumque ramulosi, ramulis 

 saepius gracillimis flagelliformibus ; rami complanati, flavo-virides, 

 subnitidi. Folia caidina et ramea distiche complanata, patentia, 

 2 mm. longa, vix concava, sicca saepe plicato-striatida, e basi amplexi- 

 cauli valde constricta subdecurrente an gust e lanceolata, argute 

 stride acuminata, marginibus per totam longitudinem tenuiter, 

 superne argutius denticulatis, planis, ad infimam basin tantum an- 

 gustissime brevissime reflexis ; costa angusta, ad 1/2-2/3 folii longi- 

 tudinem evanescens. Folia ramulina multo minora, minus compla- 

 nata, brevius acuminata, sicca haud striata. Cellulae superiores 

 longiuscule lineares, flexuosae, basin versus paullo latiores, parietibus 

 subincrassatis, subporosis, ad insertionem una serie magnae, sub- 

 vesiculosae, ellipticae ; alares numerosae, parvae, opacae, irregulariter 

 subquadratae vel breviter rectangulares, alas minimas inconspicuas 

 formantes. Cetera ignota. Dioica videtur. 



Hab. : Loc. 3,630 meters, No. 1573. 



Forming large, thin, very soft mats several inches across, of inter- 

 lacing stems repeatedly branched, the branches often very delicate 

 and subflagelliform. In absence of fruit the generic position is 

 doubtful; the stems and primary branches are rather robust for 

 Rhynchostegiella and suggest Rhynchostegium, but the small auricles 

 of minute cells obscure with chlorophyll strongly indicate Rhyncho- 

 stegiella. This is the opinion of Mons. Theriot, to whom I submitted 

 a specimen, and he points out a resemblance to the leaves of R. 

 hawaiica (CM.). It is a much larger plant than R. Holstii Broth, 

 from Usambara and Belgian Congo and of quite different habit. 

 The leaves are sharply and narrowly, but not at all delicately, some- 

 what rigidly acuminate. 



BIBLIOGRAPHY 



(1) Brotherus, V. F. Musci. In Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse der Deut- 

 schen Zentral-Afrika-Expedition 1907-1908, Band 2, Botanik, pp. 136-176, 

 pis. 11-15. 1914- 



(2) Limpricht, K. G. Die Laubmoose Deutschlands, Oesterreichs und der 

 Schweiz. In Rabenhorst's Kryptogamen Flora, ed. 2, Vol. 4. 1890-1904. 



