LESKEACEAE. 301 
branches are terete and julaceous, though the leaves are widely 
spreading when moist. They are widely cordate-oval, very shortly 
pointed, with a stout but rather ill defined nerve r reaching nearly to 
the apex; the margin finely denticulate, the cells small, oval-rhomboid, 
almost equal throughout the leaf, but at the basal angles becoming 
smaller, transversely oval and opaque, forming large triangular 
alar bands. 
The seta is not much longer than the branches, the capsule 
small, suberect, shortly cylindrical, slightly curved and asymmetric ; 
the lid conical and acute. 
It is very aks allied to the S. African P. claviramea C.M. 
Tuuwium Bry. eur., fase. 49-51 (1852). 
The species of this large and distinct genus are divided ane 
five subgenera, of which two only, Thuidiopsis Broth., and E 
Thuidium Lindb. are represented in New Zealand. 
Of oe Sl four or five species have been recorded from 
New Zealand, differing from one another in size, habit, branching, 
etc., but manifesting a great tendency to vary and to pass into one 
another by intermediate forms; and I think quite possibly all forms 
of a highly plastic type; the fru uiting characters even when present 
appear to give no defined characters, and the minute ae of 
the leaves very uncertain ones. The characters given by some 
authors are very misleading; thus the Handbook Sarai 2. 
furfurosum and T. fulvastrum from T. sparsum as having the stems 
ee ene All these species, on the contrary are equally 
bipinn 
i ai stinetions between these forms are perhaps best _ Be 
a brief description of their main features rather than 
The typical form of T. furfurosum is a tall, bright mas or 
i i bra arked. Forms 
occur, however, with st and ae ain or get uniformly 
filiform and isnt baad The are 1a are narrowly 
pointed with the points much inecurved when dry, so that the 
anches are ecatenulate. This position 0: the leaves when dry is 
characteristic of the Subgenus Thuidiops 
When the branching is very dense aha regularly pinnate, and 
the branches of aimaat mand fe le nee so that the frond is linear and 
compact it is T. fulvastrum ( Mitt.) 
When the plant is slender, very densely matted with short stems, 
shortly and densely branched with short branchlets, and little differ- 
entiation between the stem and branches or between the branches 
and branchlets, the stem leaves also being more shortly pointed, the 
branch leaves very wide and shortly pointed or almost obtuse, con- 
eave, and little altered when dry, it is T. sparsum. This is usually 
dark green or dull brown. 
