BRYUM. 335 



23. Bryum barbatum Wils. (B. Stirtoni Schp., Syn.) 

 (Tab. XLV. D.). 



Densely tufted, i| inches high, pale green, soft. Lower 

 leaves small, nerve vanishing below apex ; upper rather larger, 

 concave, widely oval, suddenly acuminate or apiculate, the nerve 

 excurrent in a recurved cuspidate point; margin entire, plane; 

 cells shortly rhomboid-hexagonal, the marginal hardly different, 

 about one row slightly elongate but otherwise unaltered, not 

 forming a distinct border. Dioicous. Fruit unknown. 



Hab. On the ground near the top of Ben Ledi (Stirton and McKinlay, 1864. ) 



The position of this species must remain doubtful, as it has not been found in 

 fruit, the above being the only occasion on which it has been gathered ; it seems how- 

 ever to be nearest B. capillare, differing in the quite entire leaves with the margin 

 plane or erect and without any trace of a border. 



(SUB-SECTION II.) 



24. Bryum erythrocarpum Schwgr. (B. sanguineum Brid.) 

 (Tab. XLV. E.). 



In short, loose tufts, often with a tinge of red ; stems slender, 

 often bearing at the base globose multicellular crimson trans- 

 lucent gemmx. Leaves crowded or distant, rather rigid, erect 

 when dry, not forming comal tufts, small, ovate-lanceolate or 

 lanceolate, margin variously revolute, denticulate above ; nerve 

 reddish, vanishing at apex or excurrent in a short mucro ; cells 

 longly hexagonal-rhomboid, marginal in one or two rows 

 narrower, but rarely forming a distinct border. Seta slender, 

 rather flexuose, 1-1% inches long, variously hooked above ; cap- 

 sule pendulous, about I3 lines long, narrowly oblong-pyriform 

 •with a slender tapering neck, slightly incurved, bright crimson or 

 purplish, rather wide-mouthed after the fall of the lid, which is 

 bright shining crimson, conical-acuminate ; peristome rather 

 large, reddish. Dioicous. 



Hab. Sandy heaths, etc. Common. Fr. summer. 



A beautiful species when in good fruit, but very frequently found sterile only, 

 when the stems and branches are more elongated. The red radicular gemmae, which 

 are very conspicuous, are apparently characteristic of this and the allied B. rubens 

 and B. atropurpureum, and as in barren plants they usually occur abundantly, they 

 form a useful feature for identifying this group ; in addition to which the leaf is dis- 

 tinct in form and structure. The difficulty therefore lies principally in separating the 

 various species of the group. B. atropurpureum differs in the shorter capsule with 

 abruptly ending neck, B. murale in the narrower cells, obtuse lid and wider, larger 



