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Volume 33, 1900
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Art. XXXVII.—Notes on the New Zealand Musci.

By Robert Brown.

[Read before the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, 27th February, 1901.]

Plate XIII.

Genus Conostomum

The genus Conostomum was created by Swartz to include the European species C. boreale and the New Zealand C. australe, which in the generic characters approach very closely those of Bartramia, the principal difference between them being the coherence of the teeth of the peristome at the apex in the former, while in the latter they are free. Many modern botanists place the species in Philonitis, a section of the genus Bartramia.

Mr. Wilson, in his “Bryologia Britannica,” has kept them distinct, and so has Sir J. D. Hooker in his “Handbook of the Flora of New Zealand,” which is the principal work there is on the bryology of New Zealand. I have therefore followed in the same lines in keeping the genera distinct, in order to facilitate reference to the above-named works.

This genus is a truly alpine one, the New Zealand species belonging to it being seldom found growing below 2,000 ft., and then only in cold, wet habitats.

The leaves of all the species but one treated in this paper are very distinctly arranged in five rows, as in C. boreale, leaving a furrow between each of the rows, which gives them a character so distinct that they can be at once distinguished from species of Bartramia.

I have seen no specimens of C. pusillum, but figures of it are given in the “Flora Novæ-Zealandiæ,” which show that the leaves are very similar in their outline to the leaves of the other species belonging to this genus, which vary from each other principally either in their length or breadth. This species will be easily-determined by the margins of the leaves being recurved and the double serration on them.

C. gracile of this paper unfortunately had the peristomes destroyed by insects, so that its true position could not be ascertained. It is placed provisionally in this genus in order that it might be recorded. Its habit appears to be that of a Conostomum.

C. minutum: Although neither the operculum nor the peri-

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stome of this species was found, its other characters are so distinctly those of a Conostomum that I have no doubt about placing it in the genus.

All the figures (Plate XIII.) are drawn to one scale.

C. australe, Swartz. Extended description.

Plants perennial, monœcious, growing in dense tufts ¾in. −1 in. high, yellowish-green above, brown below. Stems stout, ¾ in. high, radiculose. Innovations irregular, ¼ in., fastigiate. Leaves densely imbricating, nearly erect, pentstichous, linear-lanceolate, acuminate, piliferous, concave; upper ones nine times longer than broad, with entire margins or slightly toothed, minutely serrated in the lower ones; nerve excurrent, keeled; unaltered when dry. Areola oblong. Perichætial leaves linear-lanceolate, acuminate, piliferous, shorter than the upper ones. Fruit acrocarpous. Fruitstalk flexuous, ¾ in. long. Capsule inclined, broadly ovate. Mouth small. Peristome single. Teeth 16, cohering at the apex. Operculum stout, oblique, conico-rostrate. Calyptra cucullate. Antheridia in the axils of upper stem leaves.

Hab. Mount Torlesse. Coll. by R. B., Jan., 1886.

C. macrocarpum, sp. nov.

[The section below cannot be correctly rendered as it contains complex formatting. See the image of the page for a more accurate rendering.]

Plants perennial, monœcious, growing in dense tufts 1 in.-1 ¼ in. high, yellowish-green above, brown below. Stems about ¾ in. high, radiculose. Innovations irregular, 3/16 in.-¼ in., fastigiate. Leaves small, nearly erect, closely imbricating, pentstichous, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, piliferous; margins slightly recurved and minutely serrated towards the apex; nerve stout, excurrent. Areola oblong. Leaves unaltered when dry. Perichætial leaves slightly broader than the upper ones, otherwise similar. Fruit acrocarpous. Fruitstalk ½ in. −1 in. long, flexuous or inclined. Capsule oval, obliquely connected with the fruitstalk. Mouth small. Peristome single. Teeth 16, cohering at the apex. Operculum narrow, oblique, conicorostrate, half the length of the capsule. Calyptra cucullate. Antheridia on short branches.

Hab. On damp ground, Mount Torlesse, Jan. 1886.

C. intermedium, sp. nov.

[The section below cannot be correctly rendered as it contains complex formatting. See the image of the page for a more accurate rendering.]

Plants perennial, monœcious, growing in dense tufts ¼ in. high, yellowish-green above, brown below. Stems 3/16 in. Innovations ⅛ in., fastigiate. Leaves small, nearly erect, pentstichous, closely imbricating, ovate-lanceolate, shortly piliferous, concave; margins serrated; nerve stout, excurrent. Areola oblong. Leaves unaltered when dry. Perichætial leaves linear-lanceolate acuminate, piliferous. Fruit acrocarpous. Fruitstalk about 1 in. long, flexuous or inclined.

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Capsule suberect, oval. Mouth small. Peristome single. Teeth 16, cohering at the apex. Operculum oblique, conicorostrate, one-third the length of the capsule. Calyptra cucullate. Antheridia in the axils of the upper stem leaves.

Hab. On damp ground, Kelly's Hill, West Coast Road; altitude, 4,000 ft. Coll. by R. B., Nov., 1889.

C. (?) gracile, sp. nov.

Plants perennial, monœcious, growing in dense tufts ½ in.−1 in. high, green above, brown below. Stems slender, radiculose, ¼ in.-½ in. Innovations fasciculate, very slender, fastigiate. Leaves: Upper loosely imbricating, erect, obscurely pentstichous, small, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, piliferous; branch ones linear, acuminate; margins toothed on the upper half; nerve disappearing at the apex. Areola quadrilateral. Margins of leaves incurved and slightly twisted when dry. Perichætial leaves smaller, inner smallest, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, piliferous. Fruit acrocarpous. Fruit-stalk flexuous, ¾ in. long, slender, curved at the apex. Capsule ovate, tapering to the small mouth, horizontal or inclined. Operculum oblique, conico-rostrate, one-third the length of the capsule. Peristome and calyptra not seen. Antheridia on short branches, close to the perichætium.

Hab. On wet ground, summit of Kelly's Hill; altitude, 4,000 ft. Coll. by R. B., Nov., 1889.

C. bellii, sp. nov.

Plants perennial, monœcious, growing in dense tufts ½ in. high, yellowish-green above, dark-brown below. Stems ⅜ in., radiculose. Innovations about ⅛ in., fastigiate. Leaves nearly erect, closely imbricating, pentstichous, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, piliferous; margins serrated towards the apex, and slightly recurved; nerve stout, excurrent. Areola oblong. Leaves unaltered when dry. Perichætial leaves ovate-lanceolate, acuminate. Fruit acrocarpous. Fruitstalk inclined, ⅜ in. long, pale-red. Capsule ovate, small. Operculum conico-rostrate. Peristome single. Teeth 16, cohering at the apex. Calyptra not found.

Hab. On marshy ground, Lake Harris; February, 1895. Coll. by William Bell.

C. minutum, sp. nov.

Plants perennial, monœcious, growing in small dense tufts about ⅜ in. high. Stems ¼ in., radiculose. Innovations ⅛ in., fastigiate. Leaves ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, nearly erect, pentstichous, closely imbricating; margins serrated towards the apex; nerve excurrent. Areola oblong. Leaves unaltered when dry. Perichætial leaves slightly longer than the upper

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ones, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, piliferous. Fruit acrocarpous. Fruitstalk inclined, slender, ¼ in. long. Capsule inclined, subrotund. Operculum, peristome, and calyptra not found.

Hab. On wet ground, Kelly's Hill. Coll. by R. B., Nov., 1889.

Explanation Of Plate XIII.
Conostomum australe, Swartz.
1.

Capsule.
2.

Pericbætial leaves.
3.

First leaf outside perichætial.
4.

Upper leaves.
5.

Middle stem leaves.
Conostomum macrocarpum, sp. nov.
1.

Capsule.
2.

Inner perichætial leaves.
3.

Outer perichætial leaves.
4.

First leaf outside perichætial.
5.

Upper leaf.
6.

Middle leaf.
Conostomum intermedium, sp. nov.
1.

Capsule.
2.

Perichætial.
3.

First leaf outside perichætial.
4.

Upper leaf.
5.

Middle leaf.
6.

Branch leaf.
Conostomum(?) gracile, sp. nov.
1.

Capsule.
2.

Perichætial leaves.
3.

First leaf outside perichætial.
4.

Upper leaves.
5.

Middle leaves.
6.

Branch leaf.
Conostomum bellii, sp. nov.
1.

Capsule.
2.

Perichætial leaves.
3.

First leaf outside perichætial.
4.

Upper leaf.
5.

Middle leaf.
6.

Branch leaf.
Conostomum minutum, sp. nov.
1.

Capsule.
2.

Perichætial leaves.
3.

First leaf outside perichætial.
4.

Upper leaves.
5.

Middle leaf.
6.

Branch leaf.
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