emarginate, moré or less distinctly margined, margin often
brownish ; texture firm, epidermis smooth ; cells small to medium
size, subopaque, roundish-quadrate or roundish-oblong-quadrate,
walls thick, angles large, thickened, trigones rarely present,
marginal cells usually quadrate with thicker walls. Stipules none
or rarely present at the apex of stem or branches, very minute,
ovate, entire or bifid. Inflorescence ¥ postical ; sub-bracts small,
oval, bidentate, concave ; sub-bracteoles oblong, entire ; bracts
somewhat larger than the leaves and often very much more pellucid,
somewhat recurved, ouneate-oblong, almost to the middle bifid,
with 1, 2 or 3 smaller segments, which are apioulate or acute
dentate, rarely entire ; bracteole somewhat similar, but smaller.
Perianth 3 to 6 times longer than the lea,ves, subulate-fusiform,
cylindrical below, trigonous above, hyaline, near base 3 to 4 cells
thick, upper portion composed of one layer of cells, mouth small
through the folds, laciniate-ciliate, cilia very narrow, 2 cells long.
Calyptra obovate, 1 to 2 cells thick near the base. Capsule
spherical, dark brown, valves dividing to the base, thin texture.
Spores small, smooth, dark reddish-brown. Elaters bispiral, rather
broader than tbe spores, of the same colour. Androecia postical
amentiform, catkins minute ; perigonial bracts about 8 pairs,
closely imbricate, concave-complicate, oval, bidentate, segments
acute ; bracteole oblong, entire or slightly emarginate ; antheridia
single, oval, stipitate.
Fruits April, May.
D imensions.—Stems 1 to 3 inches long, T5 mm. diameter;
leaves '75 mm. x '6 mm., 7 x 'G mm., 7 mm. x '8 mm., 7 mm.
X 7 mm., '65 mm. x '65 mm., 7 5 mm. x 75 mm. ; cells '035 mm.
x -02 mm., '025 mm. x '02 mm,, '02 mm. x '02 mm., '03 mm.
x '03 mm., '03 mm. x 02 mm.; sub-bracts '5 mm. x ’4 mm.
sinus, 7 ram., '5 x '35 mm., ’3 mm. x ’25 mm. ; sub-bracteoles
'3 mm. X '2 mm. ; bracts 1'25 mm. x 75 mm. segments, '4 mm.,
•6 mm., IT mm. x 65 mm. segments, -45 mm. ; bracteole 7 5 mra.
X -5 mm. segments, '25 mm. ; perianth 4' mm. x 75 mm., 2'6 mm.
X -6 mm. ; teeth at the mouth '075 mm. ; calyptra 1' mm. x Amm.;
pistillidia T5 mm. x -025 mm. ; capsule ’6 mm. x '55 mm.; valves
7 ram. x '3 mm. ; pedicel T5 mm. diam. ; spores '008 mm. diam. ;
elaters '1 mm. x '01 mm, ; perigonial bract, explánate, '55 mm.
X'4 mm. sinus, '15 mra., '55 mm. x '55 mm. sinus, '2 mm.;
perigonial bracteoles '3 mm. x '15 ram.; antheridia '08 mm.
X '06 mm.
H a b.— Growing in dense patches on damp moors or in bogs,
often straggling loosely amongst Sphagna and other mosses.
1, 2, 4, 7 to 17, I.
Found on the Continent and in North America.
O b s .—At once distinguished from all other round-leaved
species by its postical trigonous perianth and postical amentiform
androecia ; when barren, by its arcuate steins and abundant stout
flagella. From C. (0.) denudata (Mart.), see notes under that
sqjecies.
Var. alpina, MS. is a small neat form of a reddish-brown colour
with smaller cells, firm walls, with indistinctly thickened angles,
perigonial bracts ovate-rotund, with a third, antioal, basal tooth,
found on the Scotch and Welsh mountains. I have not been
able to observe other charaoters to enable me to separate it from
the type.
D escription oe P late LXV.—Pig. 1. Plants natural size.
2. Portion of stem x 16. 3-7. Leaves x 24. 8. Portion of leaf
X 290. 9-12. Sub-bracts x 24. 13, 14. Sub-bracteoles x 24.
15,16. Bracts x 24. 17. Bracteole x 24. 18. Perianth x 11.
19. Cross-section of perianth near the base x 16. 20. Ditto
near the apex x 16. 21. Portion of the mouth of the perianth
x 85. 23-26. Perigonial bracts x 24. 27, 28. Perigonial
bracteoles x 24. 29. Antheridium x 85 (All, Foulshaw Moss,
Westmorland, George Stabler).