Page:The Journal of Indian Botany.djvu/620

180 THE JOURNAL OF INDIAN BOTANY. cellulis hexagonis; 12-16 ^ latis, laevibus parietibus incrassatis, pellu- cidis, instructa. Cetera ignota, Hab. Earth-bank, Karwar (6380) ; earth-bank inevergreen, Sirsi ; above 100 in. rainfall, alt, 1800 ft.

A very pretty species with the frondiform stems quite unaltered in drying, the leaves glossy, rigid, subcartilaginous, pale. In habit it comes near F. firmus Mitt, but that has the vaginant lamina strongly bordered.

§ Crispidium.

Fissidens Zippelianus Daz. and Molk.

Stones, Karwar (6376) ; stones in "stream in dense evergreen, Guddahalli Hill, Karwar (6399) : stones in stream, Sampkhand (6448J.

Fissidens macrosporus Dixon sp. nov. (Fig 6).

Stirps parva, corticola, gregaria, arborum ramulis crescens, uber- rime fructificans. Caulis simplex, rigidus, laevis (circa 5 mm, longus) ; saturate viridis. Folia sicca rigidefalcata, madida complanata, frondem brevem subflabelatam instruentia, pro magnitudine plantae majuscula, 1-1. 5mm. longa, oblongo-lanceolata velobovato-oblonga, fragilia, acuta, apiculata ; lamina dorsalis ad folii basin angustata, paullo decurrens ; lamina vaginans circa 2 folii longitudinem aequans ; costa sat valida, concolor, paullo infra apicem desinens ; margines integrae seu minutis- sime crenulatae; cellulae obscurae, haud opacae, parvae, 6-8 yu. latae, hexagonae parietibus firmis, tenuibus, chlorophyllosae, plerumque serie- bus obliquis e nervo radiantibus dispositae ; unaquaque dorso papilla alta singula praedita. Inflorescentia heteroica; flos c aut axillaris aut acrocarpus, aut in ramulo axillari brevissimo terminalis. Seta brevis- sima, 1-1. 5 mm. alta, ideo theca saepe folia suprema vix superante ; rubella; sporangium operculatum setae longitudinem fere aequans; the- ca turgide ovalis, erecta, pachydermata sicca sub ore vix constricta, operoulo acute recte anguste rostellato ; peristomium majusculum dentibus intense rubris, laevissimis, cruribus interne nodosio-incras- satis. Spori macwii, 27-30 /^, sub!aeves. Calyptra minuta, sub-conica, mitraeformis, per totam longitudinem scabra.

Hab. On twigs of trees in very wet evergreen, Gairsoppa Falls (6463). A very remarkable little species, closely fringing the small twigs on which it grows ; the extremely short seta, so that the capsule barely reaches above the floral leaves, the very large spores and highly papillose calyptra are most unusual features, perhaps unequalled in the genus.

The £ flower seems highly variable in position, and I have found a fruiting stem innovating from the apex of a stem with a terminal o flower.