HOMALIA. 363 



at apex ; nerve faint, single, reaching above half-way ; areolation 

 narrowly rhomboid, at apex shorter and wider, hardly longer 

 than broad. Seta deep red, %-i inch long, slender, flexuose ; 

 capsule dark reddish brown, oblong with a distinct tapering neck, 

 contracted below the mouth when dry, erect or frequently inclined 

 and slightly curved ; lid longly rostrate ; peristome long. Autoicous. 



Hab. Trunks of trees and rocks in shady situations, common. Fr. early spring. 



Easily known from Neckera complanata, which it most resembles, by the 

 characters detailed under that species. It is very like some species of Hepaticse, 

 such as Diplophylhtm albicans, in general appearance. 



Order XXII. HOOKERIACE.E. 



Plants of soft, rather succulent texture, stems slightly divided. 

 Leaves in several rows or complanate, areolation smooth, thin, 

 pellucid, often wide and hexagonal. Perichaetial branch very 

 small, few-leaved. Calyptra conical, mitriform, lobed or laciniate, 

 or almost entire. Capsule erect or cernuous, exserted, on a 

 smooth or rough seta. Peristome double, well developed. 



The texture and cell-structure in the plants included under 

 this Order, with the structural details mentioned above, render 

 them a natural group, distinct from all the other pleurocarpous 

 mosses. The three British species, belonging to three genera, 

 are all widely distinct from one another as well as from the plants 

 of the neighbouring Orders. Each of them, moreover, is the sole 

 European representative of its genus, the bulk of the species 

 being tropical mosses. 



84. DALTONIA Hook. & Tayl. 



Leaves in many rows, singly nerved, narrowly lanceolate, 

 distinctly bordered. Seta and capsule papillose. Calyptra longly 

 laciniate at base ; annulus none. 



1. Daltonia splachnoid.es Hook. & Tayl. (Neckera splach- 

 noides Sm.) (Tab. XLIX. G.). 



Stems short, J— § inch high, densely tufted, dark green. 

 Leaves closely imbricated, linear-lanceolate, acuminate, keeled, 

 entire; nerve ceasing below the apex ; cells small, elliptic-rhomboid, 

 or linear, very variable even in different parts of the same leaf, 

 the marginal in several rows narrow-linear, forming a distinct, 

 yellowish, thickened border. Seta red, papillose, about 3 lines in 



