NECKERACEAE. 269 
THaMNium Bry. Eur., fase. 49-51 (1852). 
The only New Silom ess included in the Handbook N.Z. FI. 
is Isothecitum pandum f. & W., but one or two species have been 
added to the list’ in on publications. 
Key. 
Plants very delicate, with straggling branching; 
leaves distant, comp meme inti tthe bran- 
i ches frequent a 1. pumilum 
Plants and leaves larger, or’ if small, “densely 
branched and dendroid 
Robust, rigid plant; rene fide: 2- 3 mm., ‘deenly 
pli : rve epee about % of 
2 leaf, tapering abo tag 4. baculiferum 
Smaller Lie Brew elongate plants: “herve ‘ceasing 
apex, scarcely narrowed abov his bebe 3 
Leaves fierce complanate, widely elliptic or sats 
pathulate, usually broader above the middle.... 2. latifolium 
Leaves less complanate, irregularly plicate when 
yeevions. oben ts broadest below the 
‘middle wees uw «=o Pandum 
1. Thamnium pumilum (H. f. & W.) Par. Ind. p. 1272. 
Syn. Isothecium pumilum H. f. & W., Fl. Tasm. ii, 206 (1858). 
Neckera rivalis Mitt. in Journ. Linn. Soe., Bot. iv, 87 
(1859) 
This species was originally described from Tasmania, and has 
been found in Australia. It has not been recorded from New Zealand, 
but I have found a stem, mixed up with Bartramia, Rhaphidostegium, 
&e., in R. Brown’s herbarium, which undoubtedly belongs here. The 
eathering was unloealized, and may be assumed to have been in the 
South I., as Brown was in the habit’ of indicating all his North I. 
collections. It is a much more delicate species than any of the others, 
with slender, Esto g stems, and small, distant, complanate ahi 
narrower than nF ‘latifolium, more acuminate ‘than in T. pandun 
and differing fica a in the nerve, which is more slender Mae 
distinctly tapering a where it is usually rapidly narrowed and 
frequently forked; paey coca ceasing at a greater distance below 
apex. In general form and -str srs the leaves ila otherwise 
much like those of Se zie Remo forms of T. latifo liv 
Fleischer (Muse Buitenz. iii, 933) cites es veckera rivalis 
Mitt. in the eee T. is um with a query; 00 ne I ny 
fact that Mitten himself cites [sothecium pumilum H. ‘t W. 
synonym. Mitten in placing it under Neckera was obliged to sis it 
a new specific name, the combination V eckera pumila being ready 
preoceupied. 
The plant on account of its slender habit and sterility may quite 
likely have been overlooked. 
2. Thamnium latifolium (Bry. “4 Par. Ind., p. 1271. 
Syn. Porotrichum latifolium Bry. jav. ii, 69 (1863). 
Next to T. pumilum the smallest of the four species, and in some 
forms sare like that, but distinguishable as noted above; it is always 
Bry— 
