; -ri
Ireland, and on the coast of Devon, Cornwall and Dorset. It is remarkable
for the soft texture of the leaves, which when old, lose their chlorophyl and
become entirely diaphanous. Dickson’s specimens were adulterated with
T. muralis Var. y. and thus led to some confusion in early continental writers.
9. TOETULA VAHLII {Schultz) Wils.
Au toicous ; short, resembling T . muralis. L e a v e s oblong-cuneate,
diaphanous, not revolute at margin, nerve excurrent in a green a rista.
Caps, cylindraceous, lid conico-rostella te, per. w ith a broad basal
membrane. (T. X X X I , D.)
Syn.— Barbula Vahllaiia S c h u l t z Recens. Barb, et Syntr. 222, t. 34, f. 31 (1823). B r i d . Bry,
univ. i, 545 (1826). Br. S c h im p . Bry eur. f. 13— 15, Mon. 33, t. 18 (1842). C. M u e l l .
Synops. i, 626 (184g). S c h im p . Synops. 183 {1S60), 2 ed. 199 {1876J. L e s q . J a m e s
Mosses N. Amer. 117 (1SS4).
Tortula muralis a. H o o k . G r e v . in B r e w s t . Edin. Journ. i, 292 p.p. (1824). A r n o t t
in Mem. soc. d’hist. nat. Paris, ii, 285 p.p. (T825).
Tortula extenuata De N o t . in Mem. ac. Torin. xl, 299 (1838), et Syllab. 174.
Tortula Vahllana W i l s . Bry. Brit. 12g {1855). De N o t . M u s c . ital. I, 27, t. 9 (1862);
Epil. bri. ital. 534 (1S69). L in d b , de Tort. 237 (1864). H o b k . Syn. br. m. 65 (1873).
Autoicous ; short, pale green, gregarious or cæspitnlose. L ea ve s
densely crowded, erecto-patent- and fla c c id when moist, appressed or
tw is tin g when dry, papillose at back, lower small, ovate, mucronate,
upper oblong-lingulate, channelled, subundulate, apex obtuse or somewh
at pointed, shortly piliformi-aristate with the excurrent nerve, margin
more or less re v o lu te ; cells at base h exagono-rectangular , hyaline, upper
small, obtusely angular, a single row at margin larger, rounded, yellowish,
with p ro jec tin g papillæ. Caps, on a p ale purple seta, narrowly elongato-
cylindric, slightly incurved, brown ; lid elongato-conical, one-third
length o f caps, pa le re d ; annulus broad, compound ; per. contorted,
orange, on a v ery short obscurely te sse lla ted basal membrane.
Male infl. on a short la teral branch, b ra c ts ovate, concave, obtuse
or hair pointed.
H ab.— D amp clay soil by roadsides and ditches ; rare. Fr. 4— 5.
Angmering, Sussex {Davies 1863) ! ! Between Mayford heath and Pirbright common,
Woking (Sheppard and Westell 1871) ! ! Cherryhinton, Cambridge (H. N. Dixon
It i'-
1 ;■
Ì
■h
Var ¡3. subflaccida Lindh.
Plants smaller, dull green ; leaves more opaque, shorter, flaccid, with
plane margins, the nerve only excurrent in a short mucro ; capsule and lid
shorter.
S y n .— Tortula muralis D r u m m o n d M s s .
T. oblongifolia W i l s . Bry. brit. 129, t. 43. B e r k . Handb. br. m. 254.
Barbula oblongifolia S c h im p . Coroll. 141 et Synops. 185.
Tortula Vahlii Var. /?. subflaccida L i n d b . op. c. 238
H a b .— Moist banks.
Near Dublin (Drummond 1 8 2 9 ) ! Bray and Glasnevin, Dublin (Moore i8 6 0 ) !! Near
Blanchardstown {Orr 1 8 6 7 ) !
This and the next three species are closely allied in habit and form of
leaf, but may each be easily recognized with a little care-. T. Vahlii comes
nearest to T. muralis, but is distinguished by its cylindraceous capsules, and
absence of the strongly recurved margins to the leaves.
The typical form, and also T. cuneifolia, vary considerably in the form of
the leaf as well as in the extent of the nerve-pomt, and in this country it
appears to prefer calcareous soil.
10. TOETULA MAEGINATA {Br. Sch.) Spruce.
D io icou s ; short. L e a v e s linear-oblongate, cuspidate with the
excurrent nerve, th e margin with a thickened border o f narrow cells.
Caps, oblong, erect, Hd conic acuminate, peristome c losely contorted.
(T. X X X I , E.)
Syn.— Bryum tcgulare humile, pilosum et incanum, Var. non pilosa D i l l . Hist. Musc. 356, t. 45,
fig. 14, F, G. (1741) et Herbar.
Tortula ccespitosa H o o k . G r e v . in B r e w s t . Ed. Jour, i, 296 (1824). D e N o t . in Mem.
ac. Torin. xl, 298 (1838), et Syllab. 174 (1838).
Barbnla ccespitosa B r u c h MSS. (non S c h w a e g r .)
Barbula marginata B r . S c h . Bry. eur. fasc. 13— 15, Mon. 33, t. 19 (1842). C. M u e l l .
Synops. i, 629 (1849). S c h im p . Synops. 183 (i860), 2 ed. igg. M i l d e Bry. siles. 114
(i86g). H u s n . M o u s s . nord-ouest 85 (1873). L e s q . J a m e s Mosses N. Amer. 118
(1884).
Tortula marginata S p r u c e in H o o k . Lond. J. iv, 192 (1845), et in Ann. mag, n. h. 2 ser.
” i> 375 (1849). W i l s . Bry. brit. 131, t. 43 (1855). D e N o t . M u s c . ital. I, 24, t, 7
(1862), Epil. bri. ital. 532 (1869). B e r k . Handb. br. m. 253 (1863). L in d b . de Tort.
238 (1864). H o b k . Syn. br. m. 65 (1873).
Desmatodon marginatus M i t t . Journ. Linn. soc. i, Suppl. 38 (1859). J u r a t z . Laubm.
oesterr.-ung. 132 (1882).
Tortula acuminata M i t t . Journ. Linn. soc. Bot. xii, 167 (1869).
Dioicous ; v ery short, densely gregarious. L e a v e s soft, pale green,
erecto-patent, somewhat twisted when dry, sublingulate-oblong and
narrowly subspathulate, apex obtuse or slightly acuminate, shortly
piliformi-cuspidate w ith the y ellow excurrent nerve ; concave, carinate
towards apex, margin erect with a narrow border o f a double layer
o f 3— 3 series o f narrowly rectang . pachydermous yellowish cells, upper
cells minutely papillose, hexagono-quadrate, opake and indistinct,
basal smooth, hexagono-rectangular. Caps, on a longish purple seta,
leptodermous, ovate-oblong or subcylindric, brown ; lid pale red, conic
elongated, oblique, h a lf length o f cap s., annulus simple rather broad ;
per. on a short pale basal membrane, light red.
Male plants very small, simple ; infl. gemmaceous, b ra c ts ovato-
lanceolate.
H a b .— Sandstone walls and by roadsides; not common. Fr. 4— 5.
I I