: i
slender, unequal, nodulose leg s; perich. b racts about 5, ovate, sheathing,
with an e longated sword-shaped lamina. Male plant about 2 in. high,
with longer leaves, the infl. axillary, numerous, 8-leaved, outer b ra cts
small, ovato-lanceolate, inner from an obovate base, suddenly passing
into a narrow, linear, nerved, flexuose lamina, antheridia large, numerous,
with few paraphj'ses.
H ae.— W et shady rocks.
Glengariff, Ireland ( IE,7smi 1829)'! Pont Aberglaslyn on the right of the road to
Tremadoc, N. Wales (Wdson 1838)!! Welland riverside at Treveylor, Penzance
{Cnruow 1866) ! ! Banks of the Dart, Holne bridge, S. Devon (Marquand 1884).
This fine moss was first distinguished by Wilson, but afterwards he
referred both it and F . serrulatus to the West Indian F . aspknioiies Sw a r tz .
The very interesting discovery of the fruit has confirmed its distinctness, and
I am mdeljted to the kindness of M. Husnot for the opportunity of figuring
a specimen, though, unfortunately, without operculum. It was found in the
“ Brèche de Toul-an-Dioul,” near St. Rivoal, Dep. of Finistère by M. Camus
in June, 1S78. A form occurs in the Beddgelert locality with the leaves
somewhat falcato-secund.
Since the above monograph was issued, an important paper by Mr. Mitten
has appeared in Journ. Linn. Soc. Bot. X X I, 550 (1885), which adds considerably
to our list of species, and alters many of the older views. This
necessitated a fresh study of these mosses, and as Mr. Mitten has kindly
supplied me with most of his types, I have taken the opportunity of drawing
them on an additional plate and again enumerating our species, with remarks
where my conclusions differ from those of the talented author. A good paper
on the American species, by Mr. C. R. Barnes, of Purdue University, L a fa yette,
has also appeared in the Botanical Gazette for January and February,
1887. It must be remembered that the optical aids to examination at the end
of last century were of a very primitive kind and limited in use, hence we
need not be surprised that among the minute sorts, various species were distributed
under the same name, because there were no means of certainly
distinguishing them, hence we think too much stress must not be laid on herbarium
specimens as types of species.
The principal characters in Mr. Mitten’s arrangement are, i . the position
of the male inflorescence,— 2. the erect symmetric, or inclined unequal capsu
le ,- 3 . the presence or absence of a hyaline limb to the lamina: of leaf,
ikmong the small species of Fissidens, and in some o f the larger, we have
come to the conclusion that the position of the inflorescence is most variable,
and affords no stable specific character, as indeed Mr. Mitten states, though
the key conveys a different impression ; nor is much value to be attached to
the erect or inclined position of the capsule, for both certainly occur in the
same species, though the symmetric or asymmetric form, if well marked, may
prove more reliable, but with respect to the limb bordering the leaves, we
attach more weight to it, as constituting a character of importance in the
structure of the leaf, and undoubtedly of great value in discriminating species
of such genera as Mnium and Bryum.
I . FISSIDENS EXILIS Hedw.
S y n .— Fissidens exilis H e d w . 1. c . H u s n . Muscol. gall. 48, t. 15 (1884).
Fissidens Bloxami W ils . 1. c. M it t . Journ. Linn. Soc. Bot. xxi, 558 (1885).
This no doubt was mixed up with F . viridulus and pusillus by the older
botanists, but Hedwig had the true plant as his remark on the leaves testify,
and he also sent specimens of it to Starke still preserved in his herbarium
(fide Limpricht).
2. FISSIDENS EXIGUUS Sidliv.
D io ico u s ; very small. Le a v e s 4— 6-jugous, oblongo-lanceolate,
uppermost longer, not limbate or only fa intly on the vaginant lamina,
nerved nearly to apex. Caps, erect, oblong-oval, lid conic-rostellate.
(T, X I I .* E.)
S y n .— Fissidens exiguus S u l l i v . in Mem. Amer. Acad. n. ser. iii, p. 60, t. 2 (1848). Musc.
Allegh. n. 182. Mosses Un. st. 24 (1856). leones musc. 36, t. 23 (1864). L e s q .
J am e s Mosses N. Amer. 84 (1884). M i t t . Journ. Linn. Soc. Bot. xxi, 557 (1885).
Fissidens viridnlns Var. Lylei W i l s . Bry. br. 304.
Fissidens pusillus ¡S. Lylei B r a it h -w . a n te p . 68.
Fissidens incurvus Var. exiguus A u s t in M u s c . ap p a la c h . n . 103. B a r n e s B o t . Gaz.
1887, p. 6.
Dioicous or autoicou s ; very minute, densely gregarious, yellow-
green. L e a v e s 4— 6-jugous, recurved when the stem is declinate at
base, oblong-lanceolate, ra the r suddenly a cute-pointed, ac c re scen t
upward, immarginate or with a faint limb to the duplicate lamina or
also to lower part o f the other laminæ, inferior lam. narrowing downwards
and vanishing at base ; cells rounded. Caps, e re c t or slightly
inclined, oblong-oval, somewhat con tra c ted below the mouth, lid conic,
rostellate. Male plant minute, short, b ra c ts two, with a short ensiform
lamina.
Hab.— S tones in damp shady places. Fr. 9— 2.
Tilgate forest, on clinkers with F. incurvas (Mitten) ! ! Henfietd (Mitten). The form
Lylei, Witney, Oxon (Boswell, 187S) ! ! &c,
3. FISSIDENS MINUTULUS Sulliv.
Dioicous and auto icou s ; very small. L e a v e s 5— 8-jugous, upper
long, linear-lanceolate, a cute , all narrowly limbate, nerved to apex.
Caps, erect or inclined oblong, lid conic, rostrate. (T. X I I ,* F.)
Syu.— Fissidens minutulus S u l l i v . in Mem. Amer. acad. n. ser. iii, p. 58, t. 2 (1848). Musc.
Allegh. n. 183. Mosses Un. St. 24 (1S56). Icon. Musc. 37, t. 24 (1S64). L e s q . J am e s
Mosses N. Amer. 85 (1884). M i t t . Journ. Linn. Soc. Bot. xxi., 556.
Fissidens bryoides Var. i & 2. H o o k . W i l s . in Drumm. Musc. Amer. Coll. 2, n. 39 & 40.
Fissidens pusillus Var. madidns S p r u c e in Journ. Bot. iSSo, p. 3 6 1 . B r a it h w . ante p. 68.
Fissidens incurvus Var. minutnlns A u s t in M u s c . Appalach. n. 102. B a r n e s B o t . G a z .
1887, p. 5.