Ectropothecium] mosses (Gepp). 305 



41. ECTROPOTHECIUM Mitt, in Journ. Linn. Soc. x. p. 180 

 (1869). 



1. E. capillisetum Kindb. Ennm. Bryin. Exot. p. 98 (1891). 

 Hypnum (Gupressina) capillisetum C. Muell. in Flora 69. p. 521 



(1886). 



GoLUX((0 Alto.— On shaded rooks in woods of Rapliia< textiUs by 

 the Delamboa river, with a few old and young capsules and calyptras : 

 July 1856. No. 177. 



The type of this species was gathered by H. Soyaux in Pungo 

 Andongo on moist rocks by the river Engamzambe ; 30 March 1875. 



Possibly the following sterile and imperfect specimens also 

 belong to this species : — ■ 



GoLUXdO Alto. — A brilliant flavescent-green plant, widely csespitose 

 on the banks of rivulets in dense woods ; Mata de Quisucula ; Jan. 

 1856. No. 172. 



PuxGO AxDONGO. — On the exposed roots of old trunks in woods 

 near Luxillo, apparently rather rare ; May 1857. No. 99. 



2. E. strephomischos. 



Hypnum (Leucomium) strephomischos Welw. etDuby in Geneve, 

 Mem. Soc. Phys. XXI. ii. p. 434. t. i. fig. 6 (1872). Leucomimn 

 strephomischos Jaeg. et Sauerb., Gen. et Spec. Muse. ii. p. 539 (1879). 



GoLi^NGO Alto. — Fiavous-green, rather shining, widely and densely 

 caespitose, but apparently very rarely bearing fruit, [the British 

 Museum specimens are well supplied with fruit] ; on the withering 

 fronds of rather large ferns {Platycerhim angolense Welw.) in the 

 forests of Quibanga ; with fr. July 1856. No. 179. In the same place ; 

 not however on Platy cerium itself, but at the foot of the same tree : on 

 ground by the tree on which was growing Platycerium, the matrix of 

 No. 179, in the forests of Quibanga ; with fr. July 1856. No. 1796. 



In size and general appearance this species approaches exceedingly 

 closely to Vesicularia hryocarpa C. Muell. in Dusen's mosses from the 

 Cameroons (No. 311), but differs in having a pendulous (not inclined) 

 theca and in not fruiting copiously. To E. contractile Broth, from the 

 Cameroons (Preuss, No. 1026) it is also nearly allied, especially in the 

 texture of the leaves. The leaf-cells contract and become indistinct 

 when dry, and expand very slowly in water. The leaves of Welwitsch's 

 plant are much more longly and gradually acuminate, and the stems 

 are not nearly so long as in E. contractile. 



The following specimen, the fruit of which was already 

 destroyed when Welwitsch collected the plant, is allied to the 

 above species and also to E. glauculum, described by Brotherus 

 in Bol. Soc. Brot. viii. p. 186 (1890), and collected in the same 

 island by Quintas : — 



Island op St. Thomas. — Csespitose on moist rocks and on half- 

 rotten trunks in the vicinity, in the woods of Novo Destine, at an 

 elevation of 2500 ft. ; without fr. Dec. 1860. No. 123. 



3. E. golungense Jaeg. et Sauerb. Gen. et Spec. Muse. ii. p. 538. 

 Hypnum {Ectropothedum) golv/ngense Welw. et Duby in Genfeve, 



Mem. Soc. Phys. XXI. ii. p. 432. t. ii. fig. 4 (1872). 



GoLUNGO Alto. — A very fine moss hanging down at some length 

 from rocks which are constantly wet, but never noticed to be bearing 

 fruit ; at the cataract of the Quibolo spring ; without fr, March 1856. 



