224 BRYOLOGY OF NEW ZEALAND. 
MEESEACEAE. 
Mersea Hedw., Fund., ii, p. 97 (1782). 
A genus of paludal mosses with highly asymmetric, gibbous, long- 
necked capsule (Funarioid in form); peristome double, outer teeth short, 
wide, obtuse ; processes of inner considerably longer, linear, more or less 
moniliform. 
Meesea Muelleri C. M. & Hampe in Linn., xxviii, 208 (1856). 
Syn. M. macrantha Mitt. in Kew Journ. a viii, 260 (1856) 
Handb. N.Z. Fl., p. 444. M. Kirkii R. Br. ter. in Trans. N.Z. 
Inst., vol. 31, p. "463 (1899). M. Buchanani R. Br. ter., op. cit., 
p- 464. M. aquatica a 3 ter., op. cit., p. 465. M. aquatilis 
R. Br. ter., op. et loe. 
A usually tall, richly fruiting, one moss, with oblong-lingulate, 
widely obtuse, entire leaves, somewhat lax, ain subquadrate, smooth 
gi cells, and nerve ceasing much below apex 
wn’s species must all be referred ioe except M. craagieburnensis 
(oie infra). The author admits similarity in the leaves, but relies on the 
ns 
only obvious distinctions ee the sporophyte are the length of seta; but 
this varies in proportion to the degree of ge aes of the plants, which 
again is probably Hecate on the degree of moisture of the habitat. 
A very unusual degree of variation in the we h of seta’ is, moreover, 
characteristic of the eee thus the northern M. trichodes has a seta 
varying between lem. and 8em. B. Kirkii R. Br. ter. is a short dense 
form. M. Buchanani is marked. by the straight, parallel, equally foliate 
branches, giving the tufts a very regular, neat bis M. aquatilis 
and M. aquatica are very ordinary forms of M. Muelleri 
EXCLUDED SPECIES. 
M. craigieburnensis R. Br. ter. in Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. 31, p. 464 = 
Funaria subcuspidata Broth. 
BARTRAMIACEAE. 
All the New Zealand species of this family are placed under oo 
and Bartramia in the Handbook of the New Zealand Flora. Bartrami 
has been much subdivided in recent years, oe four of the genera as 
Ts 
arranged by Brotherus are represented in New Zealand. These are generally - 
bl 
easily recognizable when once known, but are not easy to define. I have 
i e 
Handbook. The subspherical, deeply plicate capsule is characteristic of 
= of the genera and of a the New Zealand species, except in one or 
\ {ea 
