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DICRANUM FRAGILE.
Dicrmium caule elongato ramoso, foliis subsecundis su-
bulato-setaceis, serratis, siccitate subflexuosis, peri-
cbætialibus basi vaginatis, capsula erecta cylindracea.
(Tab. CXXXIV.)
Ha b . Tn Nepaul legit Hon. D. Gardner, et ad J i Banks Baro-
netum communicavit Gui. Wallich, M . D. 1791.
Caules 3-4-pollicares, cæspitosi, erecti, flexuosi, tomento fusco-
ferrugineo undique obsiti, ramosi. Folia luteo-viridia, subdi-
stantia, subsecunda, patentia, curvata, siccitate flexuosa, insigniter
fragilia, subulato-setacea, margine serrata, nervo ad
apicem attingente instructa. Suhstantia mollis, laxius reti-
culata. Perichætialia basi vaginata. Seta sesquiuncialis,
erecta. Capsula erecta, cylindracea, flavo-fusca. Calyptra
operculumqae, desunt. Peristomium e dentibus 16, brevibus,
rubris, transversim striatis, ultra medium fissis, segmentis sub-
inæqualibus.
This moss comes near in general appearance to some of the
small varieties of Dicranum scoparium, and perhaps still more
to D . Scotlianum. It is remarkable, however, in having a downy
substance on the whole length of the stalk, leaves of a much
softer nature than the species just mentioned, narrower, and very
strongly serrated, curved when moist, only slightly flexuose when
dry, and then exceedingly brittle.
Fig. 1, tuft of plants, nat. size. Fig. 2, portion of a stem
with leaves. Fig. 3, leaf. Fig. 4, perichætium. Fig. 5, leaf
of perichætium. Fig. 6, capsule. Fig. 7, teeth of the peristome.
— magn.