230 ENCALYPTACE^E. 



red, lanceolate, connivent or erect when dry, strongly incurved 

 over the mouth of the capsule when moist. Autoicous. 



Hab. Mountain rocks, not common. Fr. late summer. 



E. ciliata is at once known by the smooth capsule, fringed calyptra, paler 

 seta, etc. ; the margin of the leaves is also usually recurved, though very 

 narrowly. 



There is considerable discrepancy between authors as to the peristome, some 

 describing it as erect when moist, incurved and arched over the mouth when dry ; 

 others as connivent when moist, and erect when dry. Macoun and Kindberg 

 (Catalogue of Canadian Plants — Musci, p. 94) endeavour to explain the discrepancy 

 by supposing two species to be confused under one name, the true E. ciliata Hoffm. 

 having the teeth incurved when dry, erect when moist, and the capsule without a 

 distinct apophysis ; the other, E. Macounii Aust. having the teeth on the contrary 

 erect when dry, when moist arched and incurved, and the capsule distinctly apophy- 

 sate. E. Macounii is the most common form in N. America, E. ciliata as above 

 described being possibly absent ; in Europe the former plant has been collected by 

 Kindberg in Norway, and described by him under the name (or rather synonym) of 

 E- borealis. I very much doubt, however, the stability of the species E. Macounii 

 Aust. as described by these authors. As a matter of fact in every specimen of E. 

 ciliata which I have examined, the capsule, especially when immature (as were the 

 capsules of the plant from which Austin describes E. Macounii), shows a small, 

 indistinct but none the less decided neck, whatever the character of the peristome 

 when dry. And as regards the latter structure I find on the same tuft mature capsules 

 with the dry teeth inflexed, erect, or slightly spreading, in proportion to the degree 

 of dispersal of the spores, — the more empty the capsules the more divergent being 

 the teeth ; all however becoming strongly inflexed, indeed flattened, over the mouth 

 of the capsule as soon as moistened. I have never seen a specimen with the peristome 

 of the very remarkable, if not unique, nature described by Schimper and Braithwaite, 

 namely, becoming more patent when moistened ; indeed one is tempted to suspect a 

 slip of the pen. Should this indeed occur, however, it would still seem to be the 

 only character to separate the plant from E. Macounii, seeing that as shown above, 

 neither the position of the dry peristome, nor the presence or absence of an apophysis 

 can be claimed as distinctive of the species. Should however the distinction be main- 

 tained, then the plant described and figured by Braithwaite would belong to the true 

 E. ciliata Hoffm, while that described by Wilson, as well as nearly, if not all, the 

 British specimens I have seen, would fall under E. Macotmii Aust. (It should be 

 mentioned that the other characters given by Austin as distinctive of E. Macounii axe 

 incorrect, as mentioned by Macoun and Kindberg, I.e.). 



It may be perhaps of some interest in connection with the above question, to 

 note that when once rendered inflexed by moistening, the teeth of the peristome, at 

 least in my experience, do not regain their erect position upon drying. 



E. apophysata Nees & Hornsch. , a continental species, differs in the longer paler 

 capsule, with a more distinct neck, and with the teeth of the peristome paler, perforated 

 along the median line, not entire as in our plant. 



B. RHABDOTHECA. 

 Capsule ribbed or striate, longitudinally or spirally. 



4. Encalypta rhabdocarpa Schwgr. (Leersia rhabdocarpa 

 Lindb., Braithw. Br. M. Fl.) (Tab. XXXIII. C). 



Densely tufted, \-2 inches high, deep green. Leaves resem- 

 bling those of E. vulgaris, but rather more narrow at the point ; 

 obtuse or acuminate, the nerve vanishing below the apex or 



