44 BRYOLOGY OF NEW ZEALAND. 
characteristic appearance to the stems, very similar to what is seen in 
attenuated and elongated stems of Distich. capillaceum, where, however, 
the leaves are truly distichous, while here they are inconspicuously 5-ranked. 
The leaf subula also is more flexuose and slender than in D. strictum. The 
lax disposition of the leaves will usually separate this species from D. 
elongatum, with which, however, in structure they are practically identical. 
The long sheathing base, enrolled at margin, has generally a narrowl 
oblong form, and is often very long; it contracts abruptly at the shoulder 
into the subula, and here the elongate basal cells pass rapidly into a group 
of minute rounded or transversely elliptical rather obscure cells, which 
give a very characteristic opacity to the shoulder of the leaf. The subula 
is very long an e, smooth or scabrous, flexuose, usually acute, and, as a 
rule, marked by several very strong and acute spinulose teeth in the upper 
pS 
marked by vertical or zigzag striations. In Distichium, as mentioned above, 
rim of the capsule. In D. punetulatum they are inserted below the orifice 
as in Distichium, but are highly and densely papillose, without striae, of a 
distinctly brown tint. 
Examination of the type of Trichostomum filiformifolium in R. Brown’s 
herbarium shows that it belongs to D. punctulatum. 
It is rather strange that Mitten has not kept up D. punctulatum in his 
own herbarium. As mentioned above, the t Specimen is there placed 
folius H. f£. & W.) in Herb. Hooker.—viz., ‘ Tierra del Fuego, 1833, 
. Darwin” ; and “ Hermite I., Hook., No. 132 ”—and they are abso- 
lutely distinct. .D. Hookeri has the leaves tapermg above, not abruptly 
contracted to the subula, and is entirely without the cells, at that portion of 
the leaf, characteristic of D. punctulatum ; the lid of the capsule is blunter, 
and there are other differences. D. punctulatum Mitt. is a perfectly good 
Species, much more closely allied to D. strictum than to D. Hookeri. 
Island, Hutton and Kirk ; Fagus forests, Hopkins, Dr. Haast. 1 have it in 
my herbarium from Mauriceville, Wairarapa, North Island, leg. W. Gray 
(two or three stations), and from Kelso, Otago, South Island, leg. D. Petrie. 
I do not know of any record or specimen from outside the New Zealand 
region, but in all probability it will be found te’occur at least in Tasmania, 
either at present undetected or recorded under one of the other names. 
