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vanced to account for it. One of these was that the leaf to a certain extent
was split vertically to embrace the stem ; but this is not tenable, as each
half of the split portion is of equal thickness to the rest of the leaf. Another
view which has met with general acceptance is that the double portion alone
is the true leaf [lamina vera C. M u e l l . ) , and all the rest is an outgrowth from
it, the portion behind the lam. vera being termed lam. dorsalis, and the two
wings beyond these up to the apex constituting the lam. apicalis. However
plausible this view may appear, it does not satisfy us, for there are species in
which the duplicate part is nearly or altogether wanting, e.g. F. dealbatus
from New Zealand. The most rational explanation seems to be this, that
the additional lobule is of the nature of a stipule, arising on the opposite side
of the stem, which has become adnate to the nerve by the whole lower
margin, the upper margin being free and parallel to the corresponding
margin of the leaf. Lindberg’s names for the several parts are clear and
simple, and are vaginani lamijue for the conduplicate portion, superior lamina for
the continuation of this to the apex, and inferior lamina for the whole length
o f the part below the nerve.
The small species of the incurvus group present great variation in the
position of the male infl., and I am satisfied that no reliable specific character
can be founded on i t ; a point noticed by Lindberg to some extent confirms
this, viz., that in some autoicous species, the male is connected with the
base of the female by rhizomatous radicles which in course of time disappear,
while the male continues to grow on as an independent plant, and
the species thus becomes dioicous. Th is elegant genus numbers 320 species,
and besides the British, five others are European.
C l a v is t o t h e S p e c i e s .
Fruit terminal.
Leaves not bordered.
Minute, autoicous, lid conic. cxilis.
Robust, dioicous, lid rostrate. osmtmdoidcs.
Leaves bordered.
Border narrow, thickened.
Nerve reaching apex and then confluent with the border.
S axillar, leaf with a short point. bryoides.
S radical, leaf with a long acute point- Orrii.
Nerve lost at apex.
Small species; leaves acute.
Dioicous, capsule inclined, leaves very narrow, acute. pnsillus.
Autoicous, capsule incurved, cernuous. incurvus.
Autoicous, capsule equal or slightly asymmetric, erect, or inclined, viridulus.
Robust species ; leaves rather obtuse. rufulus.
Border not thickened, of 4 rows of cells.
Leaves eroso-serrate at apex. scrrulatus.
Fruit lateral.
Autoicous.
S radical, nerve excurrent. taxifolius.
f l axillar, nerve lost below apex. adiantoides.
Dioicous.
Leaves short, with a pale border, serrulate at apex. decipiens.
Leaves very long, not bordered, nearly entire at apex. poiyphylius.
I . FISSIDENS EXILIS Hedw.
A u to ic o u s ; v ery sm a ll; leaves 3— 4 pairs, lanceolate-oblong, not
bordered, serrulate a t m a rg in ; capsule erect, ellip tic, with a narrow
annulus, lid con ico-rostella te. (T. X, A.)
S y n .— Hypnum minutum L. MSS. in herb.
Bryum viridulum D i c k s . Cr. fasc. I, 3, t. i, f. 5 {1785).
Fissidens exilis H e d w . Sp. musc. 152, t. 38, f. 7— 9, excl. syn. L. (1801). S c h u l t z Fl.
Starg. 291 (1806). B r id . p.p. Sp. musc. ii, 163 (1812) ; Mant. 187 (1819) ; Bry. univ.
ii, 638 (1827). S c h w a e g r . Suppl. I, P. II, 4 (1816) p.p. W i l s . Bry. Brit, 302, t. 53
{1855). S c h im p . Syn. musc. 103 (i860), et 2 ed. i n (1876). B e r k . Handb. Br. m. 160
(1863). H o b k . Syn. Br. m. 135 (1873). H u s n . Mouss. nord-ouest 61 (1873).
Dicranum viridulum Sm. Eng. Bot. t. 1368 (non descr. nec Swartz).
Dicr. bryoides ß . minus T u r n . musc. hib. 53 (1804).
Hyp. trifoliatum D o n MSS. in herb. Turn.
Fiss. bryoides var. cxilis R ö h l . Deutsch. FI. iii. 76 (1813).
Skitophyllum exile L a P y l . in Desv. Journ. Bot. 1813, 34, t. 38, f. i.
Fiss. Bloxami W iL S . in Lond. Journ. Bot. 1845, p. 195, t. g. C. M u e l l . Syn. musc. i, 66
(1849). B r . S c h im p . Bry. Eur. i, Mon. Suppl. i, n. 8 (1850). M i l d e Bry. Siles.
80 (i86g).
A u to ic o u s ; minute, deep green, c losely gregarious. Stem i line
long, in c lin ed ; lea ves 3— 4-jugous, lower minute, upper obliquely
lanceolate-oblong, a cute , nerved to apex, not bordered, the margin
crenulate or serrulate, vag. lam. J length o f leaf, inf. lam. linear-lanceola
te, ending a t middle o f vag. lam., areolation rather lax. Capsule
erect, on a red seta 2 lines long, e llip tic , w ith a short neck, brown with
a red mouth ; ca lyp tra conic, cu cu lla te , lid red, lon g as capsule, conico-
ros tellate ; annulus pale, o f two rows o f c e lls, not u n ro llin g ; peristome
red, geniculate, spores olive-brown.
Male infl. very minute, gemmiform, radical, or a tta ch ed to the
root tomentum, b racts ovate, acute , antheridia very small, without
paraphyses.
H a b .— Shady banks by ditches and in woods. Fr. i— 2.
Boxhill and Enfield Chase [Dickson). Burnside and near R. Sherbet, Forfar [Don. 1802) !
Budd’s Clough, Cheshire and Warrington [Wilson, 1S34). Orton and Gopsal Woods,
Twycross [Bloxam, 1844) ! ! Hurstpierpoint (Mitten, 1847) ! Kirkham, Yorks. [Spruce).
Near Keston Common, Kent [Braithwaite, 1S65) ! ! Bowdon, Cotteral wood, Mottram
and Ashley, Cheshire [Hnnf) I ! Todmorden [NowcU, 1S63) 1 1 Prestwich [Hunt,
I86g) I Bagley wood, Oxford [Boswell, i 85l) 1 Sellack, Hereford [Rev. A. Ley).
Holwell, Dorset [Rev. H. Wood) ! ! Kelvedon Hall woods, Essex [Varenne, 1880) 1 1
Luscombe wood, Teignmoiith [Miss fe lly ) . Near Bearley and Knowle, Wanvick
[Baguall) 1 1 Levens, Westmoreland [Barnes] !
Readily known by its crenulate non-margined leaves, and probably more
common than supposed, its small size and early appearance causing it to be
overlooked. It was constantly confounded with F . viridulus by the older
bryologists.