402 HYPNACEjE. 



being almost always to be found, and usually in abundance. The var. falustre 

 (usually cited as var. MiUeanum) is a marked form, by Lindberg and others, as by 

 Schimper himself formerly, considered as a species ; but the characters by which it is 

 distinguished are somewhat inconstant, different writers often disagreeing as to certain 

 points of structure ; nor, although conferring a different facies on the plant, are they 

 of great importance. 



Both male and female flowers are almost always to be found in abundance, 

 throughout the year. Synoicous flowers are sometimes, but exceptionally, present. 



5. Brachythecium campestre B. & S. (Hypnum campestre 



Bruch) (Tab. LII. J.). 



Resembling B. salebrosum, with the leaves usually slightly 

 more erect and imbricated, but not constantly so. Seta smooth at 

 base, slightly rough above. Autoicous. 



Hab. Stony and grassy places, very rare. Fr. autumn and winter. 



There is practically no difference between this plant and B. salebrosum except 

 the slightly rough seta, and it is questionable whether it should not be more properly 

 considered a sub-species or variety of that plant ; the possibility also suggests itself 

 whether it may not be a hybrid between that and B. rutabulum ; but the plant is 

 hardly sufficiently known at present to warrant such a conclusion. It will not be 

 confounded with B. rutabulum, on account of the silky, plicate, longly acuminate 

 leaves, as well as the much less highly papillose seta, but from B. salebrosum it could 

 hardly be distinguished without fruit. 



6. Brachythecium rutabulum B. & S. {Hypnum rutabulum L.) 



(Tab. LII. K.). 



A very variable plant ; stems creeping, somewhat radiculose, 

 divided ; branches irregular, sometimes sub-pinnate, erect or 

 ascending, curved, robust ; forming large loose tufts of a bright 

 glossy green. Leaves large, cordate-ovate, or ovate-oblong, 

 shortly and acutely acuminate ; more rarely longly ovate-lanceolate 

 and more longly acuminate ; rather loosely placed, somewhat 

 divergent both when wet and dry, not, or rarely, erect and 

 imbricated ; usually somewhat concave ; not or hardly decurrent, 

 faintly plicate, especially when dry ; margin plane or slightly 

 reflexed, finely denticulate usually nearly all round ; nerve thin, 

 narrow, except at the base, reaching half-way or rather more.- 

 Cells acutely linear -rhomboid, sometimes slightly vermicular, 

 very narrow, variable in length, usually 13-20 times as long as 

 broad but sometimes shorter ; towards base gradually becoming 

 shorter and wider, but in a very variable degree, at extreme base 

 wide, oval-hexagonal, the walls somewhat porose ; at angles wide, 

 subquadrate-oval, rather obscure, forming larger or smaller but 

 not well-defined nor hyaline auricles. Perichaetial bracts nerve- 

 less, longly and finely acuminate, squarrose. Seta strongly 



