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In this little moss we have the first departure from the cleistocarpous
state, where the operculum is organically united with the capsule wall, for
although in M. crispa the lid does not fall off, a very slight lateral pressure
when moist is sufficient to remove it. The large perich. bracts are characteristic
of this and the next two species.
2. MOILIA MULTICAPSULARIS (Sm.)
A u to ico u s ; la xly tufted, tall, ascending. Le a v e s distant, spreading,
recurved, lanceolate, with plane margins ; perich. long, slender, erect.
Caps, roundish ovate, immersed, ros tellate. (T. X X X I I I , F.)
S y n .— Phascum sphoerocarpon A b b o t FI. Bedf. 230 (1798).
Phascum crispum S m i t h Eng. Bot. t. 618 (1799).
Phascum muUicapsnlarc S m i t h Fl. brit. iii, 1152 (1804). B r id . Sp. musc. I, 10 (1806),
Mant. 10 (iSig), Bry. univ. i, 48 (1826). L a P y l . Journ. Bot. 1813, p. 281. W i l s .
Bry. brit. 37, t. 37 (1855).
Phascnm crispnm fi. multicapsulare H o o k . T a y l . M u s c . Brit. 6 (1818).
Astomum multicapsulare S c h im p . B r y . eu r . fa s c . 43, t . 3 (1850). J a e g . B e r . S t . G a ll . n a t.
g e s e lls . i8 6 g , p. 70.
Weissia multicapsularis M i t t , in Ann. m a g . n. h . 2 s e r . viii, 3 1 7 (18 5 1 ) . L in d b . de T o r t .
230 (1864).
Weissia convolutacea M i t t . M S S . (Perich. bracts convolute at base).
Systeghim multicapsulare S c h im p . S y n o p s . 33 ( i8 6 0 ). B e r k . H a n d b . b r . m. 29 7 {1863).
H u s n . M o u s s . n o rd -o u e s t 38 (18 73 ), M u s c . g a l l . 5 , t. i (1884).
Autoicous ; la xly tufted or gregarious, dingy green. Stems \— i in.
high, from a procunbent base, e re c t, simple or dichotomous, with
flexuose, small leaved innovations. Stem-leaves distant, patulous,
recurved from the middle, flexuose, fla ccid, oblongo- and elongato-
lan ceolate, apiculate, margin plane, comal lea ves and perich. b ra cts
much longer, incurved and sligh tly crisped when dry, erect, lineal-lanc.
plane, channelled in the middle, lurid green, nerve dilated a t base,
semiterete above, vanishing in apex or s ligh tly excur rent. Caps,
immersed ovato-elliptic, lid subobliquely rostellate. Male infl. terminal
on a branch, gemmiform.
H a b .— Clay fields and bare ground ; rare. Fr. 3.
Clapham park wood and Ampthill, Bedford (vlifèu« 1798). Appleton, Cheshire {Wilson
1836) ! ! Darlington {Backhouse). Hurstpierpoint [Mitten) ! Railway bank at Ashley
[Hunt 1870) ! Leckhampton hill, Chelmsford. Sutton park, Warwick [Bagnall 1877) ! !
Differs from crispa by its size and dingy colour, the perich. bracts broader
and longer, straight, lanceolate, less crisped when dry, more suddenly subulate
from a dilated base ; occasionally two capsules are found in one perichætium,
but the specific name is certainly not an apt one.
The plant has the shabby dirty look, often seen in Archidium.
3. MOLLIA MITTENII [Br. Sch.) Braithw.
Autoicous and polygamous, ta lle r . L e a v e s broadly lanc. recurved,
more rigid, nerve vanishing at apex, perich. b ra c ts lan ceolate, shorter,
divergent. Cap s, ovate. (T . X X X I I I , G.)
Svii.— Aslomum Mittenii B e . S c h . Bry. eur. fasc. 43, t. 2 (1850). J a e g . Ber. St. Gall. nat.
gesells. 1869, p. 70.
Hymenostomum sphcericarpon M i t t , in lit.
Weissia Mittenii M i t t . Ann. Mag. n. h. 2 ser. viii, 317 (1851).
Phascum multicapsulare Var. /3. Mittenii W i l s . Bry. brit. 37 (1855).
Systegimn Mittenii S c h im p . Synops. 32 (i860). B e r k . Handb. br. m. 297 (1863).
Autoicous and polygamous ; stem taller, flexuoso-erect, simple or
branched, brownish. L ea ve s squarrose and recurved, rigid, broadly lanc.
the comal few lineal-lanc. shorter, divergent, margin not involute, nerve
th ick, terete, fuscous, vanishing in the ap e x ; perich. bra cts lanceo late ,
thinner with a narrower nerve. Caps, emergent, on a longer pale pedicel,
solita ry, ovate, lid minute, conic ros tellate. Male at base o f fertile
innovation.
H a b .— Clay banks at Hurstpierpoint, and in a stubble field at Little-ease
{Mitten iSyb)\ Fr. 3.
This differs from M. multicapsularis by the shorter more rigid leaves,
scarcely curling, the perich. bracts fewer, shorter, patent from the middle,
broader and thinner, the shorter caps, with larger spores. The force of Mr.
Wilson’s reasoning that this is a var. of M. multicapsularis, because the
following year that species only was found, is not apparent.
4. MOLLIA ROSTELLATA {Brid.) Lindb.
A u to ico u s ; in small tufts. Lea ve s linear-lanc. spreading, crisp when
dry, mucronate with the excurrent nerve, margin plane. Caps, e llip tic ,
ros te llate , scarce ly e.xserted. (T. X X X IV , A.)
S y n .— P h a s c nm r o s t e l la t u m B r i d . Mant. i i (1S19), Bry. univ. i, 46 (1826). N e e s H o r n s c h .
Bry. germ, i, 59, t. 6, f. 14 (1823). S c h w a e o r Suppl. I ll , P. U- (1830). B r .
S c h im p . Bry. eur. fasc. i, p. 13 ,1.6(18 37 ). R a b e n h . Deutsch kr. fl. 11, S. 3. 83 (1848).
C. M u e l l , Syn. i, 24 (1849). W i l s . Bry, brit. 38, t. 38 {1855). H o b k . Syn. br. m. 31
(1873)-
Hymenostomum microstomum f i . mutilatum H u e b e n . musc. germ. 67 (1833).
Hymenostomum obliquumWiES. Eng. Bot. Suppl. t. 2831.
Hymenostomum phascoides W i l s . MSS. S c h im p . Bry. eur. fasc. 42, t. i (1850).
Astomum rostellatum S c h im p . Bry. eur. fasc. 43, t. i (1850).
Gymnostomum rostellatum S c h im p . Synops. 33 (i860). B e r k . Handb. br. m. 296 (1863).
H u s n . mouss. nord-ouest 39 (1873).
Hymenostomum rostellatum S c h im p . Synops. 2 ed . 33 { 18 76 ). H u s n . m u s c . g a l l 5, t. 2
(18 8 4 ).
Weissia rostellata L in d b . De Tort. 230 (1864). M i l d e Bry. siles. 43 (1869). J u r a t z .
Laubm. oesterr.-ung. 8 (1882).
Mollia rostellata L in d b .
Autoicous ; in small lax, dingy green tufts, 1— 3 lines high. Le a v e s
spreading, entire, crisped when dry, lower lanc. upper linear-lanc. long,
e recto-patent, flexuose, nerve excurrent in a short mucro, margin plane,
cells at base h exagono-rectang. narrow a t margin, above minute,
quadrate, opake, minutely papillose on both sides. C ap s , not elevated
above perich. b ra c ts , olive brown, e llip tic , obliquely ros te llate .
Male infl. gemmiform.
I