Omalia .] 
IV. MUSCI. 
483 
64. OMALIA, Bridel. 
Small, bright green, shining, creeping, stoloniferous, monceeious mosses ; 
stems quite prostrate or suberect, pinnately branched ; branches flat. Leaves 
distichously imbricated, often subsecund, but inserted 8-fariously, flattened, 
the lateral oblique, unsymmetrical, vertical, inflexed at the base on one side ; 
nerve short or 0 ; cells’ very minute, narrow. Fruitstalk lateral, long, slender, 
curved at the tip. Capsule ovoid, drooping ; annulus obscure ; peristome of 
Hypnum. Operculum beaked. Calyptra cucullate. 
A small genus, found iu various temperate climates, on trees and rocks. 
* Leaves dark green , serrulate. 
Leaves obovate-oblong or spalhulate 1. 0. pulchella. 
Leaves linear-oblong, undula'e when dry 2.0. oblongifolia. 
** Leaves pale glossy green, quite entire. 
Leaves oblong, with a flat falcate point ; nerve 0 3. 0. falcifolia. 
Leaves rounded-obovate, nerved 4. 0. auriculata. 
1. O. pulchella. Hook. f. and Wih. FI. N. Z. ii. 114. t. 91. /. 5. 
Stems prostrate or inclined from a creeping rhizome, rigid, much pinnately 
branched, J-l in. high ; brandies £ in. long. Leaves light green, not glossy, 
crowded, complanate, distichous, oblong or rounded-obovate or spathulate, 
apiculate, serrulate ; nerve stout, reaching halfway ; perichsetial squarrose. 
Fruitstalk smooth, i in. high, arcuate at the top. Capsule nodding, broadly 
ovoid ; operculum with a curved beak, as long as the capsule. Calyptra 
white. Inflorescence dioecious . — Hookeria punctata, nob. in Lond. Jouru. 
Bot. 1844. 550. 
Northern and Middle Islands: on trees, probably common ; Bay of Islands, J. J). 
H . ; Auckland, Knight ; Port Nicholson and Milford Sound, Lyall. (Norfolk Island.) 
2. O. oblongifolia, Hook. f. and Wits. FI. N. Z. ii. 115. t. 91./. 6. 
Similar in habit aud most characters to O. pulchella, but the branches are 
narrower ; leaves deeper green, undulate when dry, longer, linear-oblong, 
less serrulate, and the nerve is produced beyond the middle. — Hookeria punc- 
tata, var. /3, nob. in Lond. Journ. Bot. 1844. 550. 
Northern Island: Bay of Islands, with 0. pulchella, J. D. H. ; Auckland, Knight 
(drawing only), Sinclair. 
3. O. falcifolia. Hook. f. and Wits. FI. N. Z. ii. 115. t. 92/1. 
Habit of 0. pulchella, but more simple ; branches much broader, in. across. 
Leaves pale green, glossy, crowded, oblong, with a broad flat falcate obtuse 
apex, quite entire ; nerve 0 ; periehgetial long, erect, narrow. Fruitstalk very 
slender, in. long, arched at the top, smooth. Capsule oblong, horizontal 
or nodding; operculum short, conical. Inflorescence dioecious. — Hypnum 
falcifolium, nob. in Lond. Journ. Bot. 1844, 554. 
Northern Island: Bay of Islands, Cunningham; Auckland, Sinclair, Jolliffe ; Port 
Nicholson, Lyall. (Tasmania.) 
4. O. auriculata. Hook. f. and Wih. FI. N. Z. ii. 115. t. 92./. 4. 
Stems creeping, broad, 2-pinnately branched, 1-2 in. long and broad ; 
secondary branches broad, short. Leaves pale vellow-green, glossy, sub- 
