Bryace^.] 141 [Stableria. 



basal membrane with 16 filiform processes. Growing on sandstone 

 rocks. Der. — after Mr. G. Stabler, an ardent bryologist, of Levens in 

 Westmoreland. 



The genus Orthodontium was founded by Schwaegrichen in 1827 on two 

 mosses O.julaceum which is a Bryum, and O. lineare, an African moss, which 

 thus forms the type of the genus, and to which he afterwards agreed that 

 0. gracile should be added, and several other exotic species very similar in 

 habit raised the number to 13. Mitten however recognized two different 

 types among them and in 1869 (Musci austro-amer.) founded the genus 

 Apalodium, very near to Zygodon, unfortunately embracing the original O. lineare, 

 while gracile and others were retained under Orthodontium. The punctilious 

 Lindberg restored Orthodontium to lineare, and re-named the Bryaceous genus 

 Stableria. 



STABLERIA GRACILIS {Wils.) Lindb. 



Autoicous ; slender, sparingly branched. Leaves comant, lanceolate- 

 subulate, flexuose, nerved, entire. Caps, nearly erect, narrowly pyriform, 

 long-necked ; lid conic, rostellate, teeth slender, endostome half their 

 length. (T. LXVI, B.) 



Syn. — Bryum gracile Wils. Engl. bot. Suppl. t. 2835 (1839). 



Orthodontium gracile Schwaeg. in lit. ad Wilson. Br. Sch. Bry. eur. fasc. 23 — 24, p. 4, 

 t. I (1844). C; MuELL. Synops. i, 238 (1849). Wils. Bry brit. 218, t. 47 (1855J. 

 SCHIMP. Synops. 328 (i860), 2 ed. 389. Berk. Handb. br. m. 205, t. 18, f. 4 (1863). 

 HoBK. Syn. br. m. 106 (1873). Boulay Muse, de Fr. 295 (1884). HusN. Muse. gall. 

 220, t, 59 (1888). • 



Stableria gracilis Lindb. Utk. till en nat. grupp. Eur. bladm. med topps. frukt 20 (1878). 



Paroicous and autoicous ; in small subpulvinate tufts, bright or 

 yellowish-green, fragile, sparingly branched from base. Lower leaves 

 minute, lanceolate, upper crowded in a coma, soft, flexuose, elongate 

 lane. -subulate, cells narrow sublinear above, at base lax, hexagono- 

 rectangular hyaline, margin plane, nearly entire, often undulate, nerve 

 vanishing at apex. Antheridia in axils of comal leaves, paraphysate, 

 or gemmiform. Caps, on a slender pale red seta, erect or obliquate, 

 slender oval with a long neck, leptodermous, pale yellowish, cernuous 

 when dry and empty, sulcate, obconic, wide-mouthed ; lid conic, 

 rostellate ; teeth subirregular, pale, inflexed when dry, perforated here 

 and there in the middle line, processes of endostome much shorter. 



Hab. — Sandstone rocks and black earth ; rare. Fr. 3. 



Helsby, Frodsham and Alderley edge, Cheshire {Wilson 1833) ! ! Harrison's rocks, 

 Tunbridge wells (Borrer 1844) ! ! High roeks (Reeves). The Strid, Wharfedale [Spruce). 

 West Kilbride, Ayrshire {Boyd 1887) ! I 



Besides the British stations, it has only been found at two localities in 

 Finistere, France. The Abyssinian plant referred to it, has been named by 

 Mueller 0. afhiopicum. 



