WEBERA. 307 



pendulous, while the narrow mouth, though a more constant feature, is not absolutely 

 so. In all the capsules I have examined the peristome teeth are narrower and more 

 distant than in W. nutans, but this does not seem to have been generally noticed and 

 is therefore probably inconstant ; possibly, like the rudimentary character of the cilia, 

 it is a condition of depauperation owing to the alpine situation. On the whole, 

 therefore, it appears more satisfactory to unite the plant with W. nutans. 



I have seen no fruiting specimens from Britain. My own specimens from Ross, 

 and those sent me by Mr. Whitehead gathered by him in Derbyshire, agree in having 

 long slender innovations, with the leaves somewhat regularly imbricated when dry so 

 as to give a slightly catenulate appearance to the stems, a habit which appears more 

 or less characteristic of barren plants belonging to this group of species. The texture, 

 and the shorter more frequently cucullate leaves appear to be the most salient 

 characters by which to distinguish this plant, at least in the barren state. 



The areolation of the lower leaves is lax, but this is often the case in W. nutans ; 

 in the comal leaves there is little difference between the two plants, though on the 

 whole the cells are a little narrower and firmer in the latter. 



5. Webera annotina Schwgr. (Mnium annotinum L. ; 

 Pohlia annotina Lindb., Braithw. Br. M. Fl.) (Tab. XLII. C). 



Loosely tufted, pale or yellowish green, with straight, 

 slender, rather rigid innovations. Leaves small, rarely decurrent, 

 the lower ovate-lanceolate or lanceolate, upper longer and 

 narrower, erect or imbricated when dry ; margin slightly recurved, 

 denticulate above ; nerve reaching usually to apex ; cells rather 

 small, narrowly rhomboid, not very chlorophyllose, the walls firrfl. 

 Barren branches usually bearing in the axils of the leaves small, 

 reddish, leafy bulbils, or crowded, green, foliaceous , 2-3 pointed 

 gemmae. Seta red, flexuose ; capsule bright reddish brown, 

 widely oval with a tapering neck of varying length, usually long ; 

 mouth small; lid conical, apiculate ; annulus broad; peristome 

 bright yellowish ; inner with the processes widely gaping, and 

 cilia in pairs, long, rough. Dioicous ; male inflorescence terminal, 

 gemmiform. 



Var. ji. tenuifolia Schp. More slender, with long sterile 

 branches, often without gemmae. Leaves wider, shorter, with 

 wider areolation ; peristome teeth narrower. 



Var. y. angustifolia Schp. More slender, sometimes almost 

 filiform ; sterile branches numerous, flexuose ; leaves narrower, 

 spreading when dry, with narrower, sub-vermicular areolation. 



Hab. Sandy places and sandstone rocks ; not common. The vars. more rare. 

 Fruit very rare, summer. 



This species appears to be very imperfectly known on the continent, and it 

 presents considerable difficulty to the student. The fruit is very rare, and the gemmae, 

 by which the plant may generally be known, are not always present, and when occurr- 

 ing exhibit a considerable variety of forms ; there is, moreover, nothing very 

 distinctive in the leaves, though they are usually more delicate, and less chlorophyllose 



