THE BRYOLOGIST. 



Vol. VI. January, 1903, No. i. 



SEMATOPHYLLUM RECURVANS. 



By Elizabeth G. Britton. 



Michaux, in 1803, described two species of Leskea from the mountains 

 of North Carolina, L. recurvans and L. squarrosa, the latter from damp 

 humus. Both have been cited as synonyms of Hypuvi recurvans, following 

 Schwaegrichen's Supplement of 1816, in which he stated that he could see 

 no difference between them. This statement has not been questioned by 

 recent authors, until the publication in The Bryologist for July, 1902, in 

 which I placed a question mark after two of the synonyms of this species. I 

 did this after careful consideration of the descriptions given by Michaux and 

 Bridel, and an examination of the earlier North American Exsiccatae ; for it 

 is evident that Sullivant's first understanding of this species differed from 

 his later descriptions in the Icones. The possibility suggested itself, that 

 one of the earlier synonyms of this species might antedated, delicatuluin 

 {H. laxepatulum). This cannot be definitely settled without seeing the 

 types, though a set of cotypes exist in the Boissier Herbarium at Geneva. 

 Two attempts have been made to find the types at Paris, without success, 

 so we must rely on the specimens preserved in the Schwaegrichen collection 

 and on the original descriptions. In 1897, I had the privilege of examining 

 these cotypes, and found they were mere fragments, and had therefore lost 

 all distinctive macroscopic appearance, but the pedicels were T5-i8mm. 

 long, dark red and arcuate, the capsules horizontal, 1.5 to 2 mm. long, and 

 the lid and peristome agreed with the figures of H. reciirva7is in Sullivant's 

 Icones (Plate III). The basal alar cells, however, were more inflated than 

 figured in the Icones, and were more like the ones shown in the plate 

 accompanying this article. This cotype has also been examined by Cardot, 

 who published a brief description in the Bulletin of the Boissier Herbarium 

 for 1899, and concluded that they were referable to Raphidostegium re- 

 curvans, and that Z. squarrosa is a synonym. 



The original descriptions are somewhat contradictory, but if the specific 

 names are any guide, they indicate two forms with two kinds of leaves, and 

 suggest 5. recurvans and S. delicatuhnn. The most striking difference is 

 in the length of the pedicels ; L, recurvans was described with a pedicel 6 — 8 

 long, and L. squarrosa nearly an inch. This amount of variation occurs in 

 5. recurvans, though not usually on the same plant. 



Bridel, in the Bryologia Universalis, recognized H. recurvans as the 

 same species as L. arcuata Brid. and kept L. squarrosa Michx. as a 

 variety, stating that at first they appear to be distinct species, but his de- 

 scriptions do not indicate clearly in what way they differ. He described 

 H. recurvans with the leaves densely imbricated, circinnate-falcate, and 

 glossy yellow, the pedicel one-half to one inch long, the capsule nearly 

 erect, and constricted below the mouth when dry. 

 The November Bryologist was issued November 3d, iqo2. 



