exom-rent, serrate at the apex: calyptra descending to the
middle of the capsule: capsule narrowly oblong or cylindrical,
erect or slightly curved, regular ; lid short-beaked ; teeth
attached to a somewhat largo basilar membrane, mostly free
but sometimes partly connate in the upper part, very variable,
nodulose, more or less distinctly papillose. — Syn. 1. 454.
Tnchost077ium tortile, Schrad. ; Bryol. Eur. t. 179; Sulliv.
Mosses of U. States, 20.
Var. p u sillum , Schimp. Plants and capsules smaller;
leaves ovate, concave at base, subulate. ■— Trichostonnc77i
pusilhmi, Ilcdw. Muse. Frond. 1. 78, t. 28. Leptotrichum
pusilhm, Ilampo, Linnæa, xx. 74.
Hab. Sandy and gravelly ground, by roadsides, and in open fields in
hilly districts ; the variety near Philadelphia (James).
Tbiciiostomum t e x u e , Hedw. (Spec. Muse. 107, t. 24), collected by
Muhlenberg at Lancaster, Pennsylvania, still remains an uncertain
species, of wliich nothing is known but from Hedwig’s description and
figure. It differs from i . tortile in its large double annulus, the more
solid brownish-red capsule, and the plane margin of the leaves.
2. L. v a g in an s . Differs from the preceding species in its
slender’ slightly longer stems, a longer sheathing perichætium,
whose imbricate leaves are gradually narrowed or lanceolate-
subulate to a shorter blunt apex, tlie narrower capsule, the
larger annulus, and the smooth strongly articulate or nodose
teeth. — Trichostomum pusillum, var.. Hook & Wils., Drumm.
Muse. Amer. (Coll. II.), n. 60 and 61. T. vagina7is, Sulliv.
Muso. Allegh. n. 176, Mosses of U. States, 26, and^ Icon.
Muse. 43, t. 28. T. tortile, var. pusillum, Muell. Syn. i. 454,
in part.
Hab. Clayey and sandy soil in the Middle States ; not rare.^
Trichostomum nodulosum, Aust. (Bull. Torr. Club, vi. 74), is merely a
variety of this species, as the only character indicated by the author as
spécifie is the peristome, which is smooth in his species, and winch he
asserts to he papillose in L. vaginans, contrary to Sullivant’s description
and fimires. The last species is itself separated with great difficulty and
uncertainty from L. tortile, which has the annulus a little narrower,
though compound, and the segments of the teeth (says Schimper) very
minutely papillose. That this last character is casual is proved by the
fact that in his observations in co-operation with Mr. Sullivant, the
writer always found the peristome of the species smootli and even shining,
while Austin has found it papiUose. In my opinion this L. vaginans,
though admitted by Schimper, is a mere form of the very variable
L. tortile. — (Lesq.)
107
3. L . h om om a llum , Hampe. Plants loosely cespitóse,
bright green, short, about two c.m. long : leaves open or turned
to one side, ovate, concave at base, abruptly subulate ; costa
stout, excurrent into a long very entire point; perichætial
leaves with a long clasping base, abruptly and narrowly setaceous
subulate : capsule oblong-ovate or elliptical, tliick-wallecl,
reddish ; lid short, conical ; teeth without a basilar membrane,
the segments free or partly united, dark red ; annulus broad, compound,
revoluble. — Linnæa, xx. 74 ; Schimp. Syn. 141. Lidy-
modon homomallus, Hedw. Spec. Muse. 105, t. 23. Tricho-
stomum heteromallum, Bruch & Schimp. Bryol. Eur. t. 181.
H a b . On the ground, west side of tlie Eocky Mountains (Drummond,
n. 119); roadsides, etc., in the White Mountain region, common (Atisiin).
4. L. flexicaule, Hampe, 1. c. Stems long, slender, radiculose,
soft, yellowish or dirty green, repeatedly divided by
innovations : leaves open or turned to one side or even falcate,
lanceolate, long-subulate, the excurrent costa denticulate at the
apex : capsule long-pedicellate, small for the size of the plants,
ovate or elliptical-oblong, regular or slightly curved ; lid narrowly
conical, erect ; teeth unequal, with free slender fragile
segments. — Cy7iodo7itium flexicaule, Schwaegr. Suppl. i. 113,
t. 29. Trichost07nu7n flexicaule, Bruch & Schimp. Bryol. Eur.
t. 180.
Var. d ensum, Schimp. Plants shorter, in compact tufts:
leaves erect, shorter. — Syn. 145.
H a b . On shaded limestone rocks in subalpine regions; British
America (Drummond); Cascade Eiver (Lyall); Placer Eiver Canon
(Macoun); Alaska (Bothrock).
* * Flowers monoecious.
5. L. p a llid um , Hampe, 1. c. Plants short, loosely cespitose,
pale or yellowish green : leaves open, erect, spreading or
curved to one side, lanceolate at base, very narrowly subulate,
the long excurrent costa distinctly denticulate : male flowers
gemmiforrn in the axils of the comal leaves : capsnle ovate-
oblong, reddish, on a very long pale yellow pedicel ; lid conical,
short-beaked; teeth divided into unequal segments, free or
connate at the articulations, dark purple, twisted when dry. —
T7-ichostomum pallidum, Hedw. Muso. Frond, i. 71, t. 27 ;
Bryol. Eur. t. 183; Sulliv. Mosses of IJ. States, 26.
Hab . On bare sandy or clayey soil in woods ; common.