the Gemis Streptopogon. 1 1 1 
A new variety, vS. erythrodontus var. intermedins , founded 
on part of Spruce’s ‘Musci Amazon, et And. nr. 141 b/ is to 
be added to the genus, which thus consists of five species, 
with two varieties, viz. 
S. erythrodontus (Tayl.), Wils., with its vars. Rutenbergii (C. Mull.) 
and intermedins var. nov., S. rigidus, Mitt., S. Lindigii ', Hampe, 
S. clavipes, Spruce, and S. cavifolius , Mitt. The distribution of these 
species is as follows : — 
(1) -S’, erythrodontus , South America; Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, 
and Bolivia ; var. intermedins , Ecuador ; var. Rutenbergii, Madagascar. 
(2) S. rigidus, South America ; Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia ; 
Central America, Costa Rica ; Madagascar. 
(3) S. Lindigii , Hampe, South America ; Colombia. 
(4) S. clavipes, South America ; Ecuador. 
(5) S. cavifolius, South America; Ecuador, Colombia; North 
America, Mexico. 
We see therefore that the Andes of Ecuador and Colombia 
are to be considered as the head quarters of the genus, whence 
the species spread north to Mexico and south to Brazil (Rio 
de Janeiro) ; the remarkable fact of the occurrence of two 
species in Madagascar is referred to more fully below (p. 129). 
As regards the systematic position of Streptopogon , it is 
clear that the genus must be placed close to Tortula ( Syn - 
trichia). Mitten ( 14 ) places the genus in the tribe Tortuleae , 
where it is arranged in the key next to Encalypta. Muller ( 18 ) 
places it in his group Pottiaceae , which includes Barbula , 
Trichostomum, &c. Brotherus ( 3 ) also refers the genus to 
Pottiaceae, placing it (with Tortula) in the sub-family Pottieae , 
of which the following characters are given : ‘ Bl. meist breit, 
ei- bis spatelformig ; Rippe mit 2 medianen Deutern, mit 
Begleitern und nur 1 Sterei'denband ; Zellen oben meist 
locker, unten verlangert bis wasserhell ; Haube meist kappen- 
formig.’ It may be noted here, however, that in all the 
species of Streptopogon the leaf-nerve shows a complete 
absence of ‘ companion-cells 1 ,* and that a mitraeform calyptra 
1 I have used the word ‘ pointer-cells ’ as a translation of the German word 
‘ Deuter,’ for the wide-lumened cells with little-thickened walls of the leaf-nerve ; 
