424 HYPNACE^E. 



13. Eurhynchium strigosum B. & S. (Hypnum strigosum 

 Hoffm.) (Tab. LIV. K.). 



Allied to the last species ; differs in the branches less 

 fasciculate, more erect and less curved, the tufts more straggling 

 and of a bright shining green ; the branch-leaves less closely- 

 imbricated, more spreading when dry , variously pointed or , more 

 usually, obtuse; margin plane ; nerve rather thinner and 

 often shorter ; median cells longer and much narrower, linear, 

 or linear-rhomboid, 6-12 times as long as broad. Dioicous. 



Var. /6. diversifolium Lindb. (Eurh. diversifoliujn B. & S., 

 Schp. Syn.). More densely tufted, branches erect, julaceous ; 

 branch-leaves closely imbricated , erect, not spreading when dry, 

 obtuse, denticulate throughout the greater part of the margin ; 

 seta and capsule shorter. 



Hab. Stones, roots of trees, &c. Cornwall (Tozer), according to specimens in 

 Herb. Hook. The var. 0, Scotland (Fergusson). Fr. winter ; not found in 

 Britain. 



Until quite recently the specimens in Hooker's Herbarium, mentioned above, 

 formed the only record of this species, widely spread upon the continent, in our 

 islands. It has lately been found, however, by the Rev. J. Fergusson, in a single 

 locality in Scotland, and I have a specimen gathered under his guidance by the Rev. 

 H. G. Jameson. This undoubtedly belongs to the var. diversifolium as understood 

 by Boulay and Husnot, though a comparison of their descriptions with that of E. 

 diversifolium in Schimper (Synopsis, Ed. II.) would lead one to suppose that the 

 latter author had a somewhat different conception of the variety from that which the 

 later writers have in view ; at any rate Schimper lays stress on characters of which 

 the latter take no account, while the principal characters which they describe are 

 equally applied to a great extent, by Schimper, to the var. imbricatum of E. 

 strigosur/i. In short, Boulay and Husnot make the var. diversifolium simply a more 

 marked form of the var. ivtfa icatuni (var. prtecox Wahl. ), while Schimper evidently 

 considered that it had other distinctive characters. Whether or not they are right, 

 however, in applying Bruch and Schimper's name to it, their variety certainly 

 rests on somewhat more satisfactory characters ; but it must be pointed out that 

 obtuse branch-leaves are by no means confined to this form. In several specimens 

 from N. America I find them quite as obtuse on the more robust, straggling form with 

 spreading, not erect nor julaceous branches having the leaves somewhat distant and 

 widely spreading when dry ; nor is the striation of the leaves, which is a character 

 frequently occurring in this species, confined to one particular form, as Schimper's 

 description would seem to imply. In fine, it is questionable whether the above 

 varietal forms are capable of at all exact definition. Even among the markedly 

 "julaceous" plants from Scotland I have found one stem with the loose habit and 

 spreading, somewhat distant leaves of the type. 



E. strigosum is closely allied to the last species, but is a much more variable 

 plant ; it may usually be known by the more or less obtuse branch-leaves from stunted 

 forms of E. prmlongum and other species, while from E. circinatum it is best 

 distinguished by its straighter branches and longer, narrower median cells. It some- 

 times occurs in straggling patches of a vivid shining green with the leaves very loosely 

 set and spreading even when dry, but the var. diversifolium is smaller, with 

 cylindrical, straight, or curved branches, the leaves much more crowded and imbri- 

 cated, and then at times it very closely resembles the preceding species. 



