228 ENCALYPTACE^:. 



A. PSILOTHECA. 

 Capsule smooth or very indistinctly striate. 



1. Encalypta commutata Nees & Hornsch. (Leersia alpina 

 Lindb., Braithw. Br. M. Fl.) (Tab. XXXII. I.). 



Dull, lurid green, 1-2 inches high. Leaves from an erect 

 sheathing base slightly reflexed and squarrose, appressed and 

 incurved when dry, the upper twisted ; broadly lanceolate- 

 acuminate, acute, cuspidate or almost piliferous with the excurrent, 

 stout reddish nerve, slightly undulate, margin plane ; cells at base 

 rectangular, hyaline, often coloured deep orange red, 3-5 times as 

 long as broad, with 3-4 rows at margin longer, narrower, yellow, 

 forming a distinct border ; upper cells very small, about 10 /* in 

 diameter, rounded-quadrate or hexagonal-quadrate, obscure, 

 crenulate-papillose at margin. Seta red, twisted ; capsule 

 shortly and widely cylindrical, abruptly contracted at base with 

 an indistinct neck ; bright brown, smooth, lid with a long subulate 

 beak ; mouth narrow, with a thin annular membrane, peristome 

 none. Calyptra much longer than the capsule, irregularly lobed 

 or torn at the hardly expanded base, not papillose. Autoicous. 



Var. p. imberbis (Leersia alpina var. imberbis Lindb.). 

 Leaves slightly cucullate at apex with the incurved margins, 

 somewhat obtuse, with the nerve vanishing. 



Hab. High mountain rocks ; rare. Ben Lawers and others of the Breadalbane 

 Mts. ; Ingleborough. The var. £, Ben Lui (Holt.). Fr. late summer. 



This species is at once known by its acute, tapering leaves, with smaller upper 

 areolation, and smooth capsules. The calyptra though less distinctly fringed than in 

 E. ciliata is often considerably torn at the base. The leaves when pressed out under 

 a cover-glass have a very distinct, almost panduriform outline, the margins just at the 

 point of reflexing above the sheathing base usually becoming involute so that the leaf 

 appears constricted in the middle. 



As is usual in this genus, the papillose nature of the areolation causes the surface 

 of the leaf to be dull, not glossy, when dry, but the excurrent nerve point is extremely 

 bright and shining. 



2. Encalypta vulgaris Hedw. {Leersia exstinctoria Leyss., 

 Braithw. Br. M. Fl.) (Tab. XXXIII. A.). 



Short, less than J-inch in height, deep or yellowish green, 

 closely tufted. Leaves spreading, strongly twisted when dry, 

 about 1 1 lines long, elliptic-oblong, obtuse and rounded or more 

 or less acute at apex, with the nerve vanishing or excurrent ; 

 much narrowed at the base; margin plane, very rough with 

 verruculose papillae; lower cells hyaline, rectangular, the 



