Fontinalis triangularis minor carinata, c cymis capsulifera D i l l . H i s t . m u s c . 2 5 7 , t . 3 3, f. 2
{1741), et Herbar.
Fontinalis minor L. Sp. pl. 1107 (1753)- H u d s . Fl. angl. 398 {1762). W i t h . Bot arr. br.
veg. ii, 692 (1776), L ig h t f . Fl. scot. 11, 695 ( i777)- W e b e r Sp. fl. goett. 35 0778 •
H e d w . Fund. II, 96 {1781). R o th Fl. germ. 1,478 (1788). A b b o t Fl. bedf. 231 (1798).
H u l l Br. fl. P. 2, 275 (1799). S m . Eng. Bot. t. 557.
Fontinalis alpina D i c k s . Pl. c r y p t , fa s c . II, 2, t . 4 , f. i ( 17 9 0 ) .
H y p n um fo n t in a lo id e s L ,i.m a e c k Enc. m e th , iii, 16 4 ( r7 8 g ) .
Tricho s tom um fo n t in a lo id e s H e d w . Stirp. cr. i i i, 36, t. 14 (1792), Sp. musc. rr4. B r id .
Musc. rec. II, P. I, 133 (179S), Sp. Musc. I, 243 (1S06). S w a r t z M u s c . suec. 30 (1799).
R o e h l . Moosg. deutsch. 277 (1800). Sm, Fl. brit. 1248 (r8o4). PuRN. Musc. hib. 41
(1804). W e b . M o h r Bot. Tasch. 121 (1807). S c h k u h r Deutsch. kr, gew, P. II, 75, t.
^4 (i'Sro). S c h w a e g . Suppl. I, P. I, 160 (iS ii).
CincUdotns fontinaloides P. B e a u v . Prodr. 52 (rSog). H o o k . T a y l , Musc. bnt. 29, t. r i
(i8r8). F u n c k Moost. 24, t. 16 {tS2i). B r id . Bry. univ. 1, 229 (1827). H j f™ -
Skand. fl. G r a y Nat. arr. br. pl. i, 722 (i82r). H o ok . Fl. Scot. P. 2, 127 (1821) Br. fl.
ii 47 (1833). H u e b e n . M u s c . germ. 2i5 (1833). M a c k . Fl. hib. P. 2, 27 (1836). “ E
N o t . Syll. 25g (1838), Epil. bri. ital. 492 {1869). B r . S c h . Bry. eur. fasc. t6, Mon. 9
t. 2 (1842). R a b e n h , Deutsch, kr. fl. ii, S. 3, 242 (1848). W i l s Bry. bnt. 13g, t, 11
(1855). S c h im p . Synops. 195 (i860), 2 ed. 236. B e r k . Plandb. br. m. 249, t. 2 ,
f. 2 (1863). M i l d e Bry. siles. 140 (i86g). H o b k . Syn. br. m. 74 (1873). H u s n .
M o u s s . nord.ouest 88 (1873), Musc. gall. 120, t. 34(1886). J u r a t z . Laubm. oesterr.-
ung. 147 (1882). L e s q . J.am e s Mosses N. Amer. 134 (1884).
Trematodon fontinaloides R o e h l . Deutsch. fl. 2 ed. iii, 65 (1813).
Rhacomitrium fontinaloides B r id . Mant. 80 (i8ig).
Guemhdia fontinaloides C. M u e l l . Synops. ii, 652 (1851).
Cinclidotus minor L in d b . De Tort. 255 (1864).
Sekra minor (L.) L in d b . M u s c . scand. 23 (1879).
Dio icou s ; stems 3— 8 in. long, crowded in soft olive-green fa sc icu la te
tufts, rooting on stones and floating, th e low e r part setulose w ith the
persistent nerves o f abraded lea ve s. L e a v e s e longa to-lanc ., decurrent,
obtuse or v ery sh ortly apicu late , unequal, subflexuose, patulous or
sligh tly secund, tw isted when dry, subcarinate, slightly tooth ed a t apex,
border th ick rounded subterete, nerve th ick, plane above, prominent at
b ack, excurrent in a mucro ; basal ce lls small re c tan g u la r , upper hexagonal
opake. F e r tile branches short, suberect, often secund, fruit immersed,
lower perich. b ra cts oblong-ovate, upper oblong, a tten uate, subacute, the
nerve vanishing. C a lyp tra con ico -cu culla te , ch a r ta ceou s ; caps, ovate-
oblong, leptodermous, sulca te when dry, fuscous ; lid conic, sligh tly
curved, h a lf length o f capsule ; peristome purple, tw istin g to the right,
te e th from a narrow cance llated basal membrane, l 5, each separating
into 2— 3 filiform legs, anastomosing at base and adhering to th e exserted
apex o f columella. Male plants more slender, the infl. gemmiform,
co llec ted into small clusters, b ra c ts broadly ov ate, concav e, shortly
acuminate.
H ae.— A ttached to stones or wood in streams, especially in limestone
districts ; not uncommon. Fr. 4— 5.
This genus stands between Tortulaceæ and Grimmiaceæ, and is usually
associated with the latter, but both in peristome and leaf-structure, its
affinity is clearly strongest with the former.
In Mr. Hunt’s herbarium is a specimen of C. aquaticus, with the label
“ Mourne mountains, Co. Down, Ireland, with C. fontinaloides," but as no
recent collectors have met with it, I have not figured it, although it is a
species quite likely to occur ; it may be readily distinguished by the leaves,
which are narrowly linear-lanceolate and falcato-secund.
Subf. 3. L E E R S IEÆ . Plants growing in small tufts on the ground or
on rocks. Leaves spathulate, basal cells fragile, hyaline, foraminate, upper
with verruciform papillæ. Calyptra large, cylindric, rostrate. Capsule
cylindric ; peristome none, single or double.
L E E R S I A Hedw.
Fund. musc. II, 88 (1782).
Plants cæspitulose, dichotomous. L e a v e s lingulate or spathulate,
the basal cells re c tang . fragile, hyaline, foraminate, th e upper ch lo ro phyllose,
papillose. C a ly p t r a enclosing the whole caps., cylindric with
a styliform beak ; caps, cylindraceous, erect on a ta ll seta ; per. none,
simple of i 5 teeth or double. Inhabiting the ground and rocks.
Named in honour o f John Daniel L e e r s o f Herborn in Nassau.
The fine mosses which constitute this genus are readily known by their
large tubular calyptra, which is very persistent, and in falling takes the lid
with it. The large opake leaves are not unlike those of Tortula subulata, &c.,
but are generally rufous at base, and their upper cells are protuberant and
provided with large papillæ, cleft at top into several heads. The vaginula is
oblong and generally crowned with an ochrea or saucer-shaped membrane
originating in the base of the calyptra, which in the young state is inflexed,
and when older and torn off, is entire, or lacerate, or fringed with ranientaceous
processes. The peristome when present consists of red, slender teeth
composed of 1 - 4 series of cells, and the endostome of pairs of cilia, concrete
above, joined at base to a thin punctulate membrane adherent at the
lower part to the teeth of the peristome.
Schreber in 1791 superseded Hedwig’s name by that of Encalypta and
Leersia was again used in 1788 by Swartz— adopting a MSS. name of
Solander’s— for a genus of grasses which had already in 1776 been named
Homalocemhms by Mieg in Pollich’s Hist. Plant, in Palatinatu ; it is clear
therefore that the original name Leersia must be retained for the genus of
mosses. About 25 species are described.
C L A V IS TO T H E S P E C IE S .
Capsule smooth or faintly striolate.
Calyptra not fringed at mouth, peristome none.
Calyptra smooth at apex.
scabrous at apex.
Calyptra fringed at mouth, peristome present.
Capsule sulcato-striate.
Plants short; striæ vertical.
- tall; striæ twisted spirally.
alpina.
exstinctoria.
laciniata.
rhabdocarpa,
contorta.
Sect. I. P S IL O T H E C A C. Muell. Capsule smooth or faintly striolate.