Poly Irichum.'] 
IV. MUSCI. 
455 
A doubtful moss, very closely allied to the British P. aloides, but apparently identical 
with the tropical P. tortile. 
9. P. alpinum, Linn. Stems 2-4 in. long, curved. Leaves spreading 
and recurved, long linear-lanceolate, sheathing at the base, suberect when 
dry ; margin incurved, sharply serrate, spinulose at the back ; nerve lamellar. 
Fruitstalk long, stout, yellowish. Capsule erect or inclined, ovoid or oblong, 
terete ; teeth short, narrow ; operculum with a long beak. Calyptra covered 
with red-brown matted hairs. — Wils. Bryol. Brit. 207. t. 11; FI. Tasman, 
ii. 200. 
Middle Island : Fagus forests of Otago, alt. 2-3000 feet, Hector and Buchanan. 
(Europe, N. America, Australia, Tasmania.) 
10. P. juniperinum, Hedioiy ; — FI. N. Z. ii. 96. Stems short, 
in. high, simple, stout. Leaves spreading and recurved, sheathing at the base, 
thence linear-lanceolate, acuminate and aristate ; margins indexed, quite en- 
tire ; nerve not reaching the margin, lamellate. Fruitstalk 1-2 in. long. 
Capsule inclined or horizontal, 4-angled ; teeth 64 ; operculum with a short 
beak. Calyptra covered with matted hairs. — Wils. Bryol. Brit. 213. t. 10. 
Common throughout the Northern and Middle Islands; on banks, in hogs, etc. 
Lord Auckland’s group, Hombron and Jacquemont. (Cosmopolitan.) 
11. P. commune, Linn.; — FI. N. Z. ii. 96. Stems simple, rigidly 
flexuous, 1-4 in. high, red-brown. Leaves spreading, recurved or erecto- 
patent, linear-subulate or lanceolate-subulate, serrate, acuminate, not aristate; 
nerve overlying the whole width, lamellate ; perichsetial membranous, sheath- 
ing, erect, piliferous. Fruitstalk 2-3 in. long. Capsule oblong, 4-angled, 
apophysate ; teeth 64 ; operculum with a short beak. Calyptra covered 
with matted hairs. — Wils. Bryol. Brit. 211. t. 10. 
Common throughout the Northern and Middle islands, Colenso, and Chatham 
Island, W. Travers. A very handsome moss, found all over the world, used for making 
brushes and hassocks in England. 
12. P. gracile, Menzies. Stems densely tufted, 2-5 in. high. Leaves 
short, lanceolate from a sheathing base, with a broad, pellucid, serrate margin, 
flat ; nerve lanceolate ; perichsetial 0. Fruitstalk 2-3 in. high. Capsule- 
ovoid, obscurely 4-6-angled ; teeth 32 or 64, irregular; opercidum beaked. 
Calyptra shorter than the capsule, covered with pale matted hairs. — Wils. 
Bryol. Brit. 210. t. 46. 
Middle Island : Canterbury, Sinclair and Haast. (Europe, N. America.) 
47. DAWSONIA, Br. 
Large, handsome, rigid, dark green mosses, with the habit and most of the 
characters of Polytrichum . Capsule inclined or horizontal, flat above, convex 
below ; peristome a long brush of capillary cilia, unjointed, fringing the mouth, 
and also sometimes terminating the columella. Operculum subulate. Calyp- 
tra with a covering of matted hairs. 
One of the handsomest and most curious genera of mosses, confined to New Zealand and 
Australia and Tasmania. 
1. D. superba, Grev. ; — FI. N. Z. ii. 97. Stems 5-14 in. high, very 
rigid, naked below. Leaves rigid, dark brown, squarrose or suberect, very 
