convex-conic reddish base, with a th ick y e llow ish oblique beak.
Peristome o f 64 short unequal teeth, pa le with an orange median line.
E p ic a rp ic membrane minutely qiiadrate-a reola te, with some minute
s tomata below.
Male plants intermixed ; b ra c ts subquadrate, pointed, the nerve
w ith a few lamellæ at apex, pa raphyses spathulate.
H a b .— We t hollows on the higher Scotch mountains. Fr. 8— 9.
Ben Nevis, Ben Macdhui and others of the Cairngorm range, fruiting sparingly. Ben
Lawers, barren.
Schwaegrichen, Aongstroem and the British bryologists refer this
species to P. septentrionale S w a r t z , which appears without doubt to be only a
variety of P . alpinum that has been confounded with it ; (see Bridel Bry.
univ. ii, pp. 132 et 146 for a clear exposition of the subject).
6. POLYTRICHUM GRACILE Bichs.
Dioicous ; densely cæspitose. L e a v e s shorter, lineal-lanceolate,
the wings thin, pellucid, erect, sharply serrate. C ap su le ovate, ob scurely
6-angled, narrowed a t mouth ; lid large, w ith a long slightly obliquate
beak. (T. V I I , B.)
S y n .— Polytriclmm gracile D i c k s . MSS. M e n z . in Trans. Lin. Soc. iv, 73, t. 6, fig. 3 (1798).
H u l l Br. Fior. P. 2, 247 (1799). S m ith Fl. Brlt. iii, 1374 (1804) ; Eng. Bot. t. 1827.
T u r n . musc. Hib. 85 (1804). W e b . M o h r Bot. .Tasch. 222 (1807). M a r t . FI. crypt.
Erl. 83 (1817). S c h w a e g r . Suppl. II, 167, t. 148 (1824). B r id . Bry. univ. ii, 154 (1827).
W a l l r . Fl. crypt, germ, i, 201 (1831). H u e b e n . M us c . germ. 530 (1833). D e N o t .
Syll. musc. n. 208 (1838). B r . S c h im p . Bry. Eur. iv, Mon. 10, t. xii (1844) ; Syn. musc.
444 {i860), et 2 ed. 540 {1876). C. M u e l l . Syn. musc. i, 225 (1849). W i l s . Bry. Brit.
210, t. 46 (1855). B e r k . Handb. Br. m. 208 {1863). L in d b . in Not. ur Sails. Fn. et Fl.
fenn. fdrh. ix, 127 (1867). D e N o t . Epil. Briol. Ital. 332 (1869). M i l d e Bry. Siles.
250 (1869). H u s n . Mouss. nord-ouest 137 (1873). H o b k . Syn. br. m. 103 (1873).
Pol. longisetum S w t z . Disp. musc. Suec. 76, n. 4, et 103, n. 16, t. 8, f. 16 (1799). B r id .
Sp. Musc. I, 59 (1806); Mant. musc. 197 (1819). S c h u l t z Fl. Starg. 286 (i8o6).
R o e h l . Deutsch. Fl. iii, 69, et in Ann. Wett. Ges. iii, 220 (1814). S c h w a e g r . Suppl. I,
P. II, 316 {1816). F u n c k Moostasch. 69, t. 56 (1821).
Pol. aurantiacum H o p p e Bot. Tasch. 1800, pp. 139 et 151. W a h l e n b . Fl. Lapp. 345 {1812).
Pol. marginatum W a h l . MSS. W e b . M o h r Ind. mus. pi. crypt. (1803). B r id . Sp. musc.
i, 59 {1806). S c h w a e g r . Suppl. I, P. II, 329, n. 24, p.p. (1816).
Pol. attenuahm var. ¡B. aurantiacum T u r n . M u s c . hib. 84 (1804).
Pol. nigrescens L am . DeC. Fl. franc. 3 ed. ii, 490 (1805).
Pol. commune var. ¡B. attenuatum H o o k . T a y l . M us c . b r it. 26, p .p . ( i8 i8 ) . V a r . (B. aurantiacum
W a h l e n b . Fl. suec. ii, 737, p .p . (1826).
Pol.formosum var. (B. aurantiacum H a r t m . Skand Fl. 404 (1820).
D io ic o u s ; densely c s sp ito s e , cohering by radicula r tomentum.
Stems I— 4 in. high, erect, slender, simple, dividing from a strongly
flexuose and tomentose base. L e a v e s sub-erect, shorter, dark green,
from a sheathing base, somewhat channelled, lineal-lanceolate, w ith a
short brown point, the wings thin, pellucid, erect, sh arp ly serrate,
rough a t b a ck o f a p e x ; lamellae abount 42, higher, each in section
o f 4— 6 cells, all equal and smooth. Perich. b ra cts sheathing up to
middle, narrowly subulate. Capsule on a long orange seta, erect,
when dry horizontal, not quite covered by the orange ca lyptra, ovate
with 5 obscure angles, narrowed at mouth, yellow, leptodermous, with
an obconic not v ery distinct h y p o p h y s is ; lid large, red bordered, with
a long slightly obliquate beak. T e e th 32, united in pairs, or 64, unequal,
v a ryin g in length. Spores ra ther la rge, pale ferruginous. Male plants
with shorter le a v e s ; bra cts obovate, acuminate.
H a b .— Dry heaths on turfy soil, sides of peat cuttings and sometimes in
clefts of rocks. Not uncommon. Fr. 7.
Ben Nevis [Dickson). Oakmere and Knutsford moor [Wilson) ! Halemoss, Cheshire
[Hunt) ! ! Ingleboro [Hooker). Todmorden [Nowell). Chyandour moor, Penzance
[Curnow). Trowlsworthy bog [Brent).
Resembles P . attennaUm but is smaller and more slender, the leaves
shorter, with cells twice the size, and with broad pellucid margins, and
differing also by the obtuse-angled capsule and beaked lid. Th e latter
characters will also distinguish it from P . commune var. minus.
7. POLYTRICHUM ATTENUATUM Menz.
Dioicous ; tall, csespitose. L e a v e s from a glossy sheathing base,
a rcuato-patulous, lineal-lanceolate, p la n e ; margin sharply serrate.
Capsule prismatic, with 6 (sometimes 4 or 5) angles, pale, leptodermous ;
lid from a broad base, conico-acumina te. (T. V I I , C.)
S y n .— Polytrichum attenuatum M e n z . in Trans. Lin. Soc. iv, 72, t. 6, fig. 2 (1798). S m ith
Eng. Bot. t. 1198 (1803), et Fl. brit. iii, 1373 (1804). T u r n . M usc. hib. 83 (1804).
L in d b . in Not. ur. Sails. Fn. et Fl. fenn. forh. ix, 126 (1867).
Pol. formosum H e d w . Sp. musc. 92, t. 19, fig. i et a. (i8oi). P. B e a u v . Prodr. 85 (1805).
B r id . Sp. musc. I, 55 (1806) ; Mant. musc. 197 (1819); Bry. univ. ii, 151 (1827). W e b .
M o h r Bot. Tasch. 221 (1807). W a h l e n b . Fl. lapp. 345 (1812); Fl. carp. 348 (1814).
R o e h l . Deuts. Fl. iii, 58, et. in Ann. Wett. Ges. iii, 219 (1814). S c h w a e g r . Suppl. I,
P. II, 315 ( i8i 5). M a r t . Fl. crypt. Erl. 83 (1817). S c h u l t z Suppl. Fl. Starg. 87 (1819).
F u n c k Moostasch. 6g, t. 55 (1821). W a l l r . Fl. crypt, germ, i, 200 (1831). H u e b e n .
M u s c . germ. 536 (1S33). B a l s . D e N o t . Pr. Bry. med. 20 (1834). D e N o t . Syll.
musc. n. 207 (1838). F io r . M a z . Briol. rom. 2 ed. 29 (1841). Br. S c h im p . Bry. Eur.
iv, Mon. 9, t. xii (1844) ; Syn. Musc. 445 (i860), et 2 ed. 541 (1876). C. M u e l l . Syn.
musc. i, 224 {1849). W i l s . Bry. Brit. 210, t. 46 (1855). B e r k . Handb. Br. m. 208
(1863). M i l d e Bry. Siles. 250 (iS6g). D e N o t . Epil. Briol. Ital. 331 (1869). H o b k .
Syn. br. m. 103 (1873). H u s n . mouss. nord-ouest 136 (1873).
Pol. pallidisctiun'PvNCKxnllovp. Bot. Tasch. 1802, p. 44; Moostasch. 6g, t. 55. B r id .
Sp. musc. I, 58; Mant. musc. 197.
Pol. commune var. (B. attenuatum H o o k . T a y l . M u s c . brit. 26, p.p. (1818) ; Brit. Fl. ii, 49
(1833).— Var. aurantiacum W a h l e n b . Fl. suec. ii, p. 737, p.p. (1826).
Pol. aurantiacum var. (B. W a h l e n b . Fl. upsal. 3S7 (1820).
Pol.formosum a. quadrangulare H a r t m . Skand. Fl. 404 (1S20).
D io ico u s ; tall, la xly casspitose, bright green. Stem 3— b in. high,
simple, erect or ascending from a decumbent tomentose base. L ow e r
leaves minute, membranous with a patent cuspidate p o in t ; upper from
a glossy, longly sheathing whitish base, a rcuato-patulous, when dry
la xly incumbent, longly lineal-lanceolate, plane, opake, margin erect.