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NOTES ON CURRENT LITERATURE — I 



Edward B. Chamberlain 



Through the kindness of Mr. Harada of New York City, several short articles 

 upon Japanese mosses have recently been translated for me. One of these^ con- 

 tains observations of such interest that, as it may not be readily accessible to 

 American readers, an abstract is given herewith. 



Prof. Okamura remarks that no species of Japanese moss had been known 

 to show such a preference for saline situations as is exhibited by Grimmia man- 

 Hma, the lack of knowledge being perhaps due to the limited amount of distri- 

 butional studies possible. Recently, however, Mr. Nanpo sent to Prof. Okamura 

 specimens "collected within reach of the spray on the seashore near Yuzaki^ 

 Provinc of Wakayama," which appear to show such a preference. This mater- 

 ial, of which a detailed description but unfortunately no figures, is given, is 

 considered by Prof. Okamura to represent a new species of Dicranella. The 

 description, condensed, is as follows: 



Dicranella salsuginosa S. Okamura. Stems 2 cm. high, erect, yellowish 

 green, brown below; section about 0.14 mm. in diameter, with central strand. 

 Leaves erect when dry, patent when moist, 1.7 x 0.2 mm., linear to lanceolate, 

 acute; the upper longer and broader (4-5 x 0.6 mm.), often falcate-secund and 

 somewhat sheathing at the base. Cells linear to rectangular in the upper part, 

 14-50 X 14 M in the lower leaves, 40-84 x 12-14 M in the upper leaves, the marginal 

 cells narrower (5 fx), basal cells about 28-40 x 2-3 fx, Perichaetial leaves similar, 

 but sheathing at base. Seta erect, 8-9 mm., yellowish below, red above. Oper- 

 culum long-rostrate, reddish, with a deciduous annulus of three rows of cells. 

 Capsule erect, cylindric, not strumose nor constricted at the mouth, but a little 

 arcuate with age, 1.36 x 0.4 mm,, reddish brown, shining, 5-ribbed, and with a 

 few stomata on the conical neck. Teeth linear, split to middle, about 280 ix 

 long, yellow and papillose above, red and vertically striate below. Male 

 infloresence not seen. 



After studying the moss. Prof. Okamura made a series of tests to determine 

 the extent to which the moss showed the influence of salt water. Owing to the 

 small amount of material used, it is not possible to draw any general conclusions 

 from the results; yet, since similar tests have not to my knowledge been made 

 upon other mosses, it seems worth while to call attention to Prof. Okamura's 

 work in detail, with the hope that others may be able to supplement his results. 



The moss plants were first examined carefully to see if any external deposit 

 of salt could be detected. This gave wholly negative results to microscopic 

 examination or to the taste, but when a portion of the plant was soaked in 500 

 times its volume of distilled water and silver nitrate added drop by drop, a white 

 precipitate was clearly perceived. A less quantity of water gave a more decided 

 result. This seemed to indicate a small amount of salt on or near the surface of 

 the plants; an amount that varied according to the part of the plant treated. 



I Shutai Okamura: On the Japanese Saline Moss. Tokyo Botanical Magazine, 1911, pp. 

 113-119. 



