THE BRYOLOGIST 



Vol. XIX 



July, 1916 



No. 4 



MNIUM ANTIOUORUM CARDOT AND DIXON, AN EXTINCT MOSS 



H. N. Dixon 



The number of species of mosses found in a more or less fossilized condition 

 and now extinct is very small. E. G. Britton and A. Hollick have recently 

 shown (Bull. Torr. Bot. Club 34: 139. March, 1907) that of the comparatively 

 few records some at least are erroneous, and do not belong to mosses at all. A 

 recently described species having peculiarly interesting relationships has been 

 published in "The Pliocene Floras of the 

 Dutch-Prussian Border" by Clement 

 Reid, F. R. S., and Eleanor M. Reid, 

 B.Sc. (The Hague, 1915). As this publi- 

 cation is not likely to be well-known by 

 bryologists, it is perhaps worth while to 

 reproduce the description here. 



The plant-remains amongst which the 

 few fragments of moss occurred came 

 from the Pliocene deposits at Reuver, in 

 the valley of the Maas, on the border- 

 line between Limburg and Prussia. 

 This flora exhibits a remarkable affinity 

 with the present flora of Eastern Asia — 

 China and Japan; the bulk of the species 

 determined either being identical with, 

 or having for their nearest allies, species 

 occurring in those countries at the present 

 day; they include a large number of ex- 

 tinct species, and but very few identical 

 with those existing in Europe at the present 

 time. This affinity among the flowering 

 plants was entirely supported by the few 

 remains of mosses detected. My note 

 on these may be cited : 



"The Reuverian collection consists of 

 but half a dozen exceedingly small and 

 very fragmentary remains. Of these, however, two were of distinct interest. 

 One, a mere fragment from Swalem with but little left of any of the leaves but 

 the nerves and parts of the basal areolation, retained however sufficient of the 

 The May number of the Bryologist was published May 26, 1916. 



Mnium. aniiquorum Card. & Dixon 



I. Stem, X 3- 

 2, 3. Leaves, X 23. 



4. Leaf, restored, X 25. 



5. Apex of leaf, X 100. 

 6. Basal areolation. X 100. 



