337 
species more closely approaches the existing Eucalyptus ficifolia 
of Western Australia than to existing species in Tasmania, or 
to the described fossil species H. Kayseri, mihi, and H. Pluti 
M‘Coy. Large specimens 9 inches long when perfect, and 2% 
inches broad at greatest diameter. 
Supposed locality—Tertiary Leaf Beds, Macquarie Harbour. 
MOSS FLOWERS, SPLIT-MOSS, BOG-MOSS, AND 
EARTH-MOSS. 
By R. A. Bastow, 
[Read August 10, 1885. ] 
Moss Flowers. 
In a paper on Mosses, read before this Society on the 12th 
of last May, the more easily distinguished generic characters 
of that natural order were described, and amongst them the 
peristomes or fringes of teeth surrounding the mouths of the 
fruit capsules, which deck their summits as with jewelled 
crowns. The inflorescence of these tiny plants was not re- 
ferred to at that time; nevertheless, a brief description 
thereof is essential to the study of bryology, and it may 
interest the Fellows of the Royal Society. 
The male inflorescence consists of antheridia, minute oblong 
bodies intermixed with a number of jointed filaments, or 
paraphyses. These are enclosed by leaves, and altogether form 
a small bud-like flower (flos gemmaceus, Mitt.), or they are some- 
times surrounded by short spreading leaves, and, consequently, 
with the antheridia visible from above (los discoideus, Mitt.). 
Some species of these latter flowers cannot fail to attract the 
attention of the most casual observer, appearing, as they do, 
to the unassisted vision, even at the distance of two or three 
yards, as glittering green or reddish stars dotted about on 
the darker green velvety masses of moss that cushion the 
moist and clayey bank. 
The female inflorescence consists of archegonia, small bodies 
of an oblong form and swollen at the base. Individually, they 
are not unlike a flask in appearance, the upper portion or neck 
being in some respects analogous to the style and stigma in a 
phanerogamous plant. These are also mixed with jointed 
filaments or paraphyses, and in some species they may be 
found with antheridia in the same flower, they are then 
synoicous. 
