42, BRYOLOGY OF NEW ZEALAND. 
that those a for New Zealand in the Handbook which Mitten does not 
cite for D. punctulatum when later he a meee species ~ describes 
it are by ighatiat retained under D. australe—i.e., D. strictum. These 
are, North Island, mountainous districts, Rokeus: ia Walia Valley. 
Knight. ea it is possible that Mitten had not seen these, or was not able 
to examine them at the time of publishing his D. punctulatum, and it is 
better to consider them, in the absence of specimens, as dubious. the 
other hand, the records from Lord — Islands and Campbell Island 
belong undoubtedly to the true D. s 
D. strictum has a wide  Seaenig bash found on Chimborazo, in 
Fuegia, throughout most of the subantarctic islands, and in Tasmania, 
although it is “probable that not all the Tasmanian records belong to the 
true D. strictum 
3. Ditrichum punctulatum Mitt., Botany of Kerguelen I., Musci, in Phil. 
Trans. Roy. Soc., vol. 168 (extra vol.), 1879, p. 25. [Plate V, 
fig. 5.] 
Syn. Distichium capillaceum, Fl. N.Z., 2, 73 (non Bry. Eur., nec 
Handb. N.Z. FI., p. 422). Trichostomum filiformifolium R. Br. ter. 
in Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. 29, 482, tt. xxxix, xl. Dhutrichum fili- 
formifolium Broth. in Hingler and Prantl, Pflanzenfamil., Musci, 
> 
Much of what has passed for D. strictum (D. australe) in New Zealand 
belongs to this plant. It was confused first with Distich. capillaceum, then 
with D. strictum, and although Mitten very clearly described and emphasized 
its true characters and sp sorigricaee in the Roy. Soc. volume cited, D. punctu- 
latum has remained a little known and little understood species. Even 
in Mitten’s herbarium i is no specimen so named, the plant referred 
by him to the species in his geal description—viz., “‘New Zealand, 
coll. Dr. Lyall”—the type of D. punctulatum, being retained under D. 
note, “This is Distichiwm capillaceum var. in Fl. New Zealand. ” Tt is not 
referred to anywhere, I believe, in the various articles on New Zealand 
bryology that have appeared from time to time in the pages of the Trans- 
actions; and Brotherus refers to it as a —— which he has not seen. 
Mitten’s note on his new species is worth q gt pine, — and 
general appearance very similar to D. a cies having also the , but 
narrower, flattened apices to its Sac in the recurvation of the  ialalate 
portion from the top of the erect base it resembles D. capillacewm, and for 
this species Dr. Lyall’s barren specimens were mistaken, although the leaves 
are not distichous, but so that each fifth leaf occupies the same 
vertical position on the stem as the first counted from ; the outline of 3 
dilated base is not oval-elliptic as in D. australe, but oblong-obtuse. 
fruit in an old state is present on Dr. Haast’s specimens; accom Beret 
these fertile stems were many conspicuous male flowers, which do not appear 
to arise from the lower parts of fertile stems, but seem to be really distinct 
male plants.” 
Fruit in good condition has not hitherto been described, but I am in 
possession of good fruiting specimens with just mature capsules gathered 
and sent me eats: Mr. W. Gray from Mauriceville, from which the drawings 
made which accompany this description. 
