38 BRYOLOGY OF NEW ZEALAND. 
ta, recta, circa 0°25 mm. longa, vaginula subaequilonga, theca (cum 
operculo) circa 1mm. longa, ovata, operculo obliquo valido, tertiam vel 
quartam ‘partem thecae aequante. Spori 18-22, minutissime granulati. 
Calyptra parva, pallida, cucullata. 
Hab Pose Otago ; leg. D. Petrie; labelled “ Phasewm alternifolium.” 
A well-marked species, resembling in habit the European P. subulatum 
and P. ie Differs at once from the previous species in - 
straight seta, and from that as well as from the remaining ones in the ¢ 
paratively long and stout oblique beak of the capsule. The short, tnt 
stemless habit also separates it from the following species. 
3. Pleuridium Penk Site in Journ. Linn. Soc. (Bot.), 4, 65, et in 
Fl, Tasman., 2, 164, t 
~Syn. Astomum subexserens C. M. n Hedw., 1898, p. 78. Pleuridium 
subexserens Par., — Ind., p. 277. 
te Acai exserens D. 8 > C. M., Gen. Muse. Fr., p. 12, is without 
doubt a slip for “ A. sae as A. subexserens is not found there ; and 
I am aie that no such specimen as A. exserens is to be found in 
C. Miller’s herbarium.) 
two previous species belong to the group having scarcely any stem, 
with all the leaves elongate and subulate, except two or three at the extreme 
base. In the following three species the stem is more or less elongate, and 
the leaves gradually become longer upwards, only the comal ones being 
longly subulate, the remaining ones being much shorter, with scarcely or 
very shortly subulate points ; in the dry state these are erect and closely 
imbricated, so that the stems are catkin-like or pilaceous, especially the 
sterile ones. This is especially the case with P. nervosum and P. curvulum ; 
the present species holds a somewhat intermediate position. The stems are 
elongate, and have to some extent the peculiar appearance when dry, but 
- is only the lowest leaves that are without long points, the mid-stem leaves 
upper ones having distinct subulate and slightly flexuose points, the 
mack plant being less rigid than P. nervosum. The upper cells also are 
narrower an er 
The seta is straight or only very slightly curved, and the seta and 
vaginula combined are about the length of the capsule. The comal or 
perichaetial leaves are fewer rey in the previous species, and are more or 
less foleate ; and the capsule generally ge oe slightly from between them. 
The capsule ends in a very short obtuse point 
omum subexserens C. M. (Tasmania, Weymouth, type in herb. C. M.) 
agrees exactly with Plewridium prutllentiion; with the slight exception that 
the capsule is a shade longer, and the seta. a shade shorter In comparison, 
but the differences are of the slightest. C. Miller describes his plant as 
dioicous (while P. gracilentum is autoicous) ; but he does not describe the 
3 gy mnplns that he had not seen it. I have found several fruiting 
stems of New Zealand P. gracilentum jeathout any ¢ flowers, although the 
Toomaas is normally autoicous, and this was probably the case with the 
asmanian plant. (C. Miiller, it may be mentioned, on the same page of 
H describes Astomum curvulum also as Lang og but Roth found it 
to ei autoicous.) No ¢ flowers were to be seen on the specimen of A. sub- 
exserens which I received from C. Miller’s Eads but the material was 
insufficient to base a conclusion upon in this respect. 
