MUSCI PRjETERITI. 



357 



referred by hirn to Hypnum denticulatum as var. y of that species, 

 of which he says: — "The variety y is remarkable for its great 

 similarity in habit and foliage to H. sijlvaticum, and for its large 

 tumid synoicous flowers ; it may eventually prove to be a distinct 

 species." (Bryol. Brit., 407-8). He had sent to me fresh plants 

 of it when he first gathered it, with the remark, " H. dentkuhdum, 

 var. with synoicous flowers. If a distinct species call it H. 

 sucodmtum, MSS." I, however, could only see in it young male 

 plants of H. sylvatkum. My note on it is :— " Mores prope caulis 

 basin crebri, interdum fasciculati 2-3 ni, globosi turgidi polyphylh, 

 plerique masculi, paucissimi synoici. Bractese pradatae, sub- 

 orbiculatffi, abrupte breviuscule tenui- acuminata?, concavas laxe 

 areolataB." I have now made a renewed examination, which has 

 confirmed my previous conclusion. 



In one flower I found six large stipitate well formed antheridia 

 (yellow); four perfect pistillidia (red-purple); and two indefinite 

 bodies, like very slender antheridia, or widish pistillidia, but pale, 

 andremaining closed at the rounded apex: evidently neither 3 nor 

 ? organs, but intermediate between the two.- In other flowers I 

 found only these neuter organs, along with a few antheridia, but no 

 pistillidia ; while the great majority of the flowers contained 

 antheridia alone. Now, in every respect, except the occasional 

 synoicous inflorescence, these plants accord exactly wi h male 

 plants of true H. sylvatkum gathered m our woods (Gilla Leys, 

 &c.) The leaves of the latter are the same m size, form colour, 

 and texture ; the flowers are equally turgid (only, as far as I have 

 seen, purely male), and the bracts m all respects the same 

 [Frit of H. succuLtum I have not seen, for ee^abferoua jfafc 

 in Wilson's packets were merely the ordinary form of H. denttcu- 

 latum, growing intermixed, as he himself acknow edged ] 



It mav not be generally known that the earliest floweis ol many 

 mosses are occasionally synoicous, although those of the adult 

 S in^be dTstinctlyVlmous The ^^S^SSmZ 

 prlluada is described in books as terminating J^ 4 ***^* 



5- fiom i a f ss ^ ;s;x--;^ 



2THS tlaSESSSS spring young male-or 

 sometimes gemmiparous— ramuli. 



, .vTVATiniM var. phyllorhizans (=Hypnum 

 Plagiothecium sYLVATicm var. E1 tum flaccidum 



#f W ' »f Tola ' ^sSn^icato- Wosum ; caides 

 pallidum, apice solo Miesc ens, 4 fastigiatos edentes, 



3-pollicares erecfci sim p bee * el ramos \ cujusq \ ie rami basi 



arhizi, nisi pro S^S^STSSffll laxa, Uquadrifaria, 

 exeunte. Folia patentia, siccanao w> denticulata, 

 ovata subacuminata concaya ape itenui n n 

 basi longissime "ecmrent^ m. u me a ^ ^^ J^ 



recurvo 



foliorum inferiorum tota longi 



They are 



in Hypnum (Brachythedum) erytiu 

 his paper on the " Change of to 

 Stockholm Acad. Sc. 1879, p. 75, 1 11.) 



