— 8o— 



from the Woodsy Mnium by the very long slender teeth on the 

 margins of the leaf. These teeth are two or three cells in length 

 and extend to the base of the leaf. So marked is the length and 

 distribution of these teeth that a hand lens alone suffices to dis- 

 tinguish the species when once one knows them. The cells of the 

 leaves are also much larger than in the Woodsy Mnium. 



The "beaked Mnium" (M. rostratum Schrad.) closely re- 

 sembles the above species and is quite frequent, but the leaves 

 are obtuse and mucronate instead of acuminate, and the opercu- 

 lum, if present, clearly marks the species by its long beak. Often 

 growing with these species, but larger, without stolons and with 

 two or three capsules in a cluster, is " Drummond's Mnium" {M. 

 Drumtnondii Br. & Sch.). Another species sure to be met with 

 in wet and swampy places is Mnium punctatum. Its leaves are 

 so large that it could be easily mistaken for a flowering plant. It 

 matures its capsules sparingly and earliest of all our species, in 

 early or late April according to the locality and season. The 

 operculum is long-beaked, the leaves are obovate, bordered and 

 entire, and very broad and obtuse at the apex, slightly emargi- 

 nate, with Usually a slight apiculus and the costa nearly or quite 

 reaching the apex. A form in which the costa ceases some dis- 

 tance below the apex is variety elatum. The cells of the leaves 

 are so large as to be readily seen with a hand lens. Species of 

 Bryum are likely to be mistaken for Mnium, but in Mnium the 

 cells are little, if any, longer than broad, while in Bryum they 

 are usually much longer than broad. In our next issue we hope 

 to give a key to all our eastern species with their distribution. — 

 A. J. G. 



NOTEWORTHY AMERICAN MOSSES. 



IN THE number of the Minnesota Bota?iical Studies, pub- 

 lished in May, 1897, Mr. J. M. Holzinger has some very valu- 

 able notes on " The Genus Coscinodon." He gives the fol- 

 lowing distinctions for separating the troublesome species C. 

 Wrig ht ii and C. Raui. 



C. Wrightii is silvery-green from the presence of the much 

 lengthened hair-points on the upper leaves, which stand erect. 

 It grows in small, dense cushions of a lighter color than C. Raui. 

 The hair points while diminishing in length toward the base of 

 the stem, are still distinctly present and in the middle of young 



