late at the apex, the upper tubulose : capsule oblong-ovate»
inclined, dilated at the orifice and cylindrical-oblong when dry ’
operculum rostellate from a conical base ; segments slightly
open between the articulations, a little longer than the solitary
cilia ; annulus simple, large. — Phynchostegium Jamesii, Sulliv.
Icon. Muse. Suppl. 92, t. 68 ; Austin, Coult. Bot. Gaz. i. 31.
H a e . Erroll Dam, Androscoggin Elver, New Hampshire (James).
86. H. la x e p a tu lu rn . Like the last in habit, size and color,
differing in the open leaves two-ranked and compressed, spinose-
denticulate toward the apex, the alar cells twice as large and
the lowest vesicular, the capsule shorter, pyriform when dry
and much dilated at the orifice, the operculum twice as long
aud acutely rostrate, the teeth rugose-papillose at the apex, the
segments entire, and the cilia none or rudimentary : perhaps
dioecious, the male flowers being unknown. — Phynchostegium
delicatulum, James ; Sulliv. Icon. Muse. Suppl. 93, t. 69 ; Austin,
1. c. 30.
H a b . Same as the last (James).
S ubg en u s XIII. RHYNCHOSTEGIUM. (PI. 6.)
Plants larger than in Paphidostegium, the stems prostrate,
'irregularly divided, more or less compressed. Leaves often
two-ranked, ovate-lanceolate, aouminate, unicostate or shortly
hicostate ; areolation somewhat loose, elongated-rhomboidal.
Capsule oval, inclined and cernuous. Lid rostrate. — Phynchostegium,
Schimp.
87. H. geophilum, Aust. Ms. Tufts thin, very soft and
loose, bluish or yellowish green, very glossy : leaves flat, distichous,
somewhat distant, horizontally spreading, oblong-lanceolate,
tapering to a blunt point, distantly serrulate, bicostulate ;
areolation long, narrow, flexuous, the alar cells few, not hyaline
: capsule small, thin, short, ovate-gibbous ; operculum conical,
long-rostrate, the beak turned upward or downward ; segments
narrow, linear ; cilia two or three, nearly as long as the
segments, some of them unequal ; annulus large, compound. —
Phynchostegium geophilum, Aust. Muse. Appal, n. 345 ; Sulliv.
Icon. Muso. Suppl. 94, t. 70. H. depressum, James, Proc.
Amer. Philos. Soc. xiii. 114, not Swartz; Sulliv. & Lesq. Muse.
Bor.-Amer. Exsicc. (ed. 2), n. 437.
H a e . Clayey shaded ground, New Jersey (Austin); Pennsyivama
(James); New York (Peck).
88. H. deplanatum, Schimp. Ms. Dioecious : fertile
plants small, the sterile larger ; tufts flattened to the ground,
pale green, or yellowish brown in dry places ; stems with few
brandies, irregularly or subpinnately ramulose, branches and
branchlets closely adhering to the ground by radicles, like the
primary stems : leaves two-ranked, imbricate, ovate-lanceolate,
gradually acuminate, thin, concave, serrulate all around, the
costa short-obsolete or none ; cells linear, fusiform, flexuous, the
basilar enlarged, similar : capsule oval-ohlong, nearly regular,
cernuous, arched, plicate, constricted under the enlarged orifice
and turbinate when dry; peristome as in the last species; annulus
none. — Sulliv. Muso. Allegh. n. 50, Mosses of U. States,
70, and Icon, Muse. 171, t. 108.
H a b . Dry woods in close thin mats upon clayey ground, stones, o r
roots of trees ; common, but very rarely fruiting. Male flowers unknown.
89. H. serrulatum, Hedw. Monoecious : plants widely
expanded, pale green ; stems closely creeping, long-branching ;
branchlets distant, distichous or subpinnate : leaves two-ranked,
thin, flat, very open, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, serrulate
above, thinly oostate to above the middle; areolation loose,
long-rhomhoidal, similar at the base ; perichætial leaves oblong,
scarious, whitish, costate, abruptly acuminate, flexuous at the
apex : capsule oblong, long-pedioellate, cernuous, incurved ; lid
long-rostrate, conical at base ; segments as long as the teeth ;
cilia two or three, a little shorter ; annulus very large, compound.
— Spec. Muse. 238, t. 60 ; Sulliv. Mosses of U. States,
70, and Icon. Muso. 169, t. 107.
Hab. On the ground in dry woods, in loose thin mats, usually over
decayed leaves. Closely allied to II. confertum, Dicks.
90. H. rusciforme, Weis. Plants loosely intricate, cespitose,
pendent or floating, rigid, dark or dirty green ; stems prostrate
; branches erect, incurved : leaves open, tenacious, narrowed
at base, ovate, broadly oblong, acuminate, gradually
smaller toward the apex of the branches, distinctly serrulate,
costate to below the point ; areolation narrowly rhomhoidal ;
alar cells long-oval or linear, obtuse ; perichætial leaves eoos-
tate, the upper half-sheathing, abruptly acuminate : capsule
ovate, cernuous or subincurved, with a short distinct neck, solid,
constricted under the orifice when dry ; operculum large, solid,