T a y l . M u s c . Brit. 26, t. x (1818). F u n c k Moostasch. 69, t. 55 (1821). G r a y Nat. arr.
Br. p l. 1, 721 (1821). Z e n k . D i e t r . Musc. Thuring. n. 33 (1822). W a l l r . F l . crypt.
germ. 1 201 (1831). H u e b e n . Musc. germ. 535 (1833). B a l s . D e N o t . Pr. Bry. mediol.
18 (1S34). D e N o t . Syll. mus. n. 206 (1838). B r . S c h im p . Bry. Eur. iv, Mon. 13, t.
xvn (1844) : Syn. musc. 448 (i860) ; et 2 ed. 545 (1876). C. M u e l l . Syn. musc, i, 220
(1849). W i l s . Bry. Bnt. 211, t. x (1855). B e r k . Handb. Br. m. 209 (1863). M i l d e
Bry. Sües. 252 (1869). D e N o t . Epil. Bry. Ital. 329 {1869). H o b k . Syn. br. m. 103
(1S73). H u s n . M o u s s . nord-ouest 136 (1873).
Poî. commune a. majus W e i s s Crypt. gotting. 168 (1770).
------------------o.' serrulatiim R e t z . Fl. Scand. ii. 209 (177g).
----------------- a. yuccoefolinm E h r h . in Hann. mag. 235 (1780). H o o k . T a y l . M usc .
brit. 26, T. 10 (1818). OD \ / /
Poî. yuccoefolinm E h r h . Pl. crypt. n. 214, et Beitr. vii, lo i {1792). W e b . M o h r Bot.
Tasch. 221 (1807). V o it M us c , herbip. 58 (1812). M a r t . Fl. cr. Erl. 83 (1817).
Pol. serraium S c h r a n k Bayer. FI, ii, 446 {1789) ; et Prim. fl. salisb. 223 (1792).
Poî. propînquum R. Br. in Parry Voyage, Suppl. 294(1824).
Pol. quadrangulare G i l i b . ; e S t e u d . Nomen. crypt. 353 {1824).
D io ico u s ; v ery ta ll, la x ly cæspitose, in large deep green pa tches,
rufescent below. Stem 6— 18 in. high, flexile, trigonous, tomentose at
base, simple, ra re ly forked. L ow e r lea ves la x, scale-like, fulvous,
shining, from an oblong base, subulato-setaceous, rough a t apex, the
upper v e ry long, patenti-recurved or squarrose, erect and appressed
when dry with the apex flexuose, from a sheathing, submembranous,
g los sy whitish base, linear-subulate, plane, the wings v ery narrow,
densely spinuloso-serrate to the base, above scabrous at b ack ; lamellæ
with the margin thickened and grooved, o c cupying nearly all leaf, about
60, low, stra ight, each in section o f a row o f 4— 6 c e lls, the marginal
broader, incra ssa te, subquadrate, semilunar a t top ; perich. b ra cts
erect, v ery long, sheathing, the internal membranous, the nerve w ithout
lamellæ, prolonged into a short bristle. S e ta v e ry long, orange-red.
C a lyp tra extending below the capsule, ferruginous with a silky gloss.
Capsu le te tra ed ra l, a cute-angled, somewhat flattened horizontally,
pa chydermous, rufo-fuscous, at first e re c t, h orizon tal when dry and
emp ty ; hypophysis annular ; lid from a depresso-convex base, conico-
ros tellate, rufous red at margin ; te e th 64, small, ra ther broad, on a
yellowish b asa l membrane. Spores v ery small, rufous.
Male plants shorter, less comose ; the infl. discoid, repeatedly
proliferous from the cen tre, b ra c ts subcuneate-ovate, mucronate,
denticu la te, lamelligerous at apex ; p a raphyses v ery numerous and long,
filiform and spathulate.
H a b .— Marshy places on turf-moors. Common. Fr. 6— 7 .
Var. ¡3. Perigoniale (Michx.) Br. Schp.
Stem shorter, simple ; inner perichætial bracts longer, quite entire ;
leaves nearly smooth at back.
Sm .— Polytr. perigoniale M ic h x . Fl. bor.-amer. ii, 293 (1803). B r id . Sp. musc. 54; Mant. musc.
197 ; et Bry. univ. ii, 150.
Pol. yucceefolium Var. ß . perigoniale M a r t . Fl. crypt, erlang. 83 (1817).
Pol. commune a. campestre W a l l r . Fl. crypt. Germ. 1, 2or (1831).— Var. ß . campestre
H u e b e n . M u s c . Germ. 535.— Var. ß . perigoniale B r . S c h p . Br. Eur. iv, Mon. 13, t. 17,
fig. ß . et Syn. musc. W i l s . Bry. Brit. 212. L in d b , op. c. 117.
H a b .— Drier places on moors.
Newchurch bog and Woolston moss [Wilson) !
Var. y. Minus Weiss.
Plants shorter and more slender ; leaves dense, shorter and more erect,
perich. bracts less distinct. Capsules much smaller and shorter, less acutely
quadrangular, lid with a short straight beak, calyptra pale golden brown.
S y n .— Po/. commune Auct. ant. p.p.— Var. ß . L. Sp. pi. ii, 1109, p.p.—Var. ß . minus W e i s s PI.
crypt, gott. 171, p.p. L ig h t f . Fl. Scot. ii, 700. D e N o t . Syll. musc. Ital. 163.— Var. ß .
humile S-WTz. Adnot. bot. 141.— Var. y. minus B r . S c h . Bry. Eur. iv, mon. 13.
C. M u e l l . Synops. i, 221. W i l s . Bry. brit. 212. S c h p r . Coroll. 92.— Var. y. humile
ScHPR. Synops. 44g, et 2 ed. 546.— Var. 8. minus R a b e n h . Deutsch. Krypt.-Fl. ii,
P. I l l , 239. G ir g e n s . Naturg. Moos. LivL, &c., 365.
Pol. yucccefolium H o p p . in Sturm Deutsch. FI. ii, 4 p.p.
*Pol. cubicum L in d b . in Not. ur Sällsk Fl. Fn. fenn. ix, 117.
H.a b .— Wet heaths. Not uncommon. Oakmere. (Wilson) ! !
Regarded by Lindberg as a subspecies, and named cubicum, reaching he
says a height of i foot, and corresponding to the *P. strictum in its relation to
the typical species.
Var. 8. Fastigiatum (Lyle.) Wils.
Stems taller, fastigiate-branched, densely tufted ; leaves shorter, a little
recurved at apex when dry, more deeply channelled, with higher lamellte ;
capsule smaller, cubical.
S y n .— Polytr. fastigiatum L y l e MSS.
Pol. commune Var. y ß . fastigiatum W i l s . Bry. brlt. 212.
*P o l. cubicum Var. 7 . fastigiatum Lindb. in Not. ur Sallsk. Fn. et Fl. fenn. forh. ix, 119.
H a e .— Dry moors in mountain districts.
Near Airth, Scotland (T. Lyle 184g) ! Cliviger moor, Keb Clough and Longfield moor
(Nowell 1849) ! ! Winslade, Hants. (Hill 1861) ! Easterside, Yorks. [Baker 1855).
Appleton, Lane. (Wilson) !
This appears to be a form depending on arrest in the line of growth, and
a corresponding state is met with in other species, as P. juniperinum, urnigerum
and piliferum, sometimes each innovation bearing a capsule, so that we see
ten or twelve on one root.
Few mosses offer better material than P. commune, for an examination
of the various organs ; thus the beautiful rosette-shaped male inflorescence is
easily dissected, and the antheridia when fully perfected afford an abundant
supply of active antherozoids, readily seen by a sufficient magnifying power,
the paraphyses also both of the filiform and spathulate kind being well
developed. The calyptra when stripped of its villose indumentum, will be
seen to be small and cucullate, and in its early stage will show that this