14 



This beautiful plant is larger than the typical form, and has quite the 

 aspect of a distinct species, but the differences are too slight to afford 

 satisfactory characters. The Scotch specimens have a fine rosy purple tint, 

 and are much more robust than those from Yorkshire. 



Var. y. Hamata. Lindb. in lit. 



Leaves rather lax, somewhat glossy, fuscous, green on the young shoots, 



strongly falcate, gradually narrowed upward from the base. 



Hab. — Luggielaw, Wicklow (Lindbcrg 1873) ! ! Wet rocks at Carfury, Madron near Penzance 

 (Curnow and Marqiiand 1879) ! ! 



This variety forms the transition between the type and var. falcata, 

 agreeing with the latter in habit and falcate leaves, but with the former in 

 the base of the leaf, and in the lamina being distinct to apex, as well as in 

 the softer texture. 



Var. 8. Falcata. (Schimp.) Lindb. 



More slender, black, leaves falcato-secund, from a broadly obovate base, 

 suddenly lanceolate-subulate ; nerve flattened, vanishing at apex, lamina 

 very narrow above, faintly eroso-emarginate just below point. 



Syn. — Lichenasirum alpinum nigricans^ foliis capillacels rejiexis Dill. Hist. Muse. 507, n. 40 

 t. 73, f. 40 A. and B. (1741), et Herbar. 



Jungermannia surciilosa, erectinscula, foliis undique imbricatis acuminatis hinc rejiexis L. 

 Fl. Suec. 336, n. 920 (1745). 



yungermannia rupestris L. Sp. PI. 1135, n. 20 (1753) ; et Fl. Suec. 2 ed. 402, n. 1045, P-P- 

 (1755) ; non Herbar. 



Andr. falcata Schimp. in Herb. Hampe. Bry. Eur. vi, Mon. 24, t. XII. Syn. Muse. 66g, 

 et 2 ed. 821. MiLDE Bry. Siles. 257. De Not. Epil. Briol. Ital. 749. Hoek. Syn. Br. 

 M. 22. Lindb. in Journ. Lin. Soc. xi, 460. 



Andr. Rothii Var. /8. papulosa C. Muell. Syn. Muse, i, g. 



Andr. Rothii Var. S. falcata Lindb. in lit. 



Hab. — Alpine rocks ; not uncommon. 



England — Crib.y-Ddescil, Snowdon (Schimper 1865) ! ! Stye-barrow crag and Scawfell 

 Pikes (Baker 1867) ! ! Grasmere (Boswell 1876) ! ! Sheep's Tor, Shaugh Bridge and 

 Cad Valley, Devon (Holmes and George) ! ! Cader Idris (Pearson 1876) ! ! Tyn-y-gros 

 and Glyder Vach (Wild 1877) ! ! Llyn Elsie and Llyn Bodlyn (George) ! ! Scotland — 

 Ben Lawers (Braithwaite 1862) ! ! Ben Voirlich, Loch Kandor and Bach-na.gairn 

 (Hunt 1868) I ! Cobbler, Arrochar (George 1879) 1 ! 



Although at first sight, the sudden narrowing of the leaf above the base 

 would seem to indicate that this is a good species, a careful examination of 

 many specimens from all parts has satisfied me that it must sink to the rank 

 of a variety, an opinion to which Prof. Lindberg has also arrived ; for this 

 character is not constant, as other leaves on the same plants will be found 

 to approach much nearer in outline to those of A . Rothii, and the notching 

 in the apical margin is equally liable to variation, being sometimes hardly 

 perceptible, or altogether absent. The series of cells in the apical lamina 

 appear to afford some distinctive characters, their relative proportions being 

 5 in ^ . Rothii and 3 in ^ . falcata, but we have only to compare young leaves 

 from the coma with older ones from the lower part of the stem, to find that 

 they are variable, and that it is scarcely possible to draw a line sharply 

 between them. 



