—90— 
Of Pleuridium there are 28 species described, and all but 10 from 
original specimens, but of these P. Bolanderi is from Chicago, and P. 
Ravenelii from Louisiana. Astomum is not completed in this 
fascicle, 18 species are described but none are figured. Thus far it 
does not look as if much new light were thrown on North American 
species, as a work of this magnitude and celerity cannot be very 
critical. New York Botanical Garden. 
♦Part I was reviewed in the Bryologist, March, 1911. 
POLYTRICHUM APPROACHING P. SMITHIAE 
ELIZABETH M. DUNHAM 
As so many members of the Moss Society were especially inter- 
ested in the Polytrichum approaching P. Smithiae Grout which was re- 
cently “ offered, ” the writer has obtained permission to give to all 
the benefit of the notes made by Prof. J. Franklin Collins after a care- 
ful examination of the material sent to him for determination. 
Prof. Collins wrote as follows : 
“Judging from a comparison with J. M. Holzinger’s Musci Acro- 
carpi Boreali-Americani No. 50 which was distributed as ‘Part of 
type’ (of Poly trichum Smithiae), and from the description and figures 
of that species given by A. J. Grout in the Bryologist 6 : 41. 
May, 1903), I should say, in general, that your No. 807 was pretty 
good P. Smithiae in its sporophytic characters, but depauperate P. 
Ohioense in its gametophytic characters. Your specimens appear to 
dittev tr om P. Smithiae principally (1) in lacking the slender stems 
with closely appressed leaves (see fig. 10, plate VIII, 1. c.) which so 
strongly suggest P. strictum, (2) in having 38 to 40 lamellae instead 
of about 32, (3) in leaves reaching a length of 6.5 mm. (excluding 
the sheath), wndely spreading or slightly recurved when moist, loosely 
appressed and with spreading tips when dry, much after the style of 
fig. 2, plate VIII (1. c.). 
Renauld and Cardot in the Revue Bryologique ( 12 : 12, 1885) 
give the lamellae of P. Ohioense as 40 to 50, 5 to 7 cells high. Grout 
in the BRYOLOGIST ( 1 . c.) says of P. Smithiae ‘lamellae about 32, 
four to six cells high.' Your specimens, so far as I have examined 
them, show 38 to 40 lamellae, five cells high. Thus in the number of 
lamellae, as well as in other characters mentioned above, your speci- 
mens come, nearer to P. Ohioense than to P. Smithiae. 
In measurements of length only of both sporophyte and game- 
tophyte your plants fall well within the measurements given for P. 
Smithiae (1. c.), as may be seen from the following summary of meas- 
urements made from 47 of your specimens. Shortest gametophyte 
9 mm., longest 29 mm.; of these there were 7 between 9 and 13 mm., 
