í : à
'iii i .!
or columella ; spores developed in the single sporogonial cell, few, very
large, smooth. C a lyp tra sa c ca te , v ery thin, tearing irregularly and
adhering in fragments to the capsule.— Der. apxtStov the beginning.
AECHIDIUM ALTERNIFOLIUM (Dicks.) Schimp.
Paroicous ; leaves distant, ovato-lanceolato-acuminate ; perichætial
bracts larger, crowded, from a broadly ovate base, lanceolate-subulate,
w ith the nerve excurrent, the margin obsoletely tooth ed. (T . X IV , A.)
SYN.— Phascmn altcrnifolium D i c k s . Cr. fasc. I, 2, T . i, fig. 2 (1785). R e l h . Fl. cant. Suppl.
alt. 18 (178S). W i t h . Bot. arr. B. Veg. 3 ed. 786 (1796). A b b o t Fl. Bedf. 229 (1798 .
H u l l Br. Fl. P. 2, 252 (1799). H e d w . Sp. musc. 24 (1801). S m . Fl. Brit, ill, 1157
(1804) ; Eng. Bot. t. 2107. S c h w a e g r . Suppl. i, P . I, 10, T . 10 (1811). H o o k . T a y l .
Musc. Br. 6, t. 5 (i8iS). G r a y Nat. arr. Br. pi. i, 711 (1821).
Phase, globifemm B r u c h in Reg. bot. zeit. 1825, I, p. 281, t. i.
Pleuridium alternif. Brid. p.p. Mant. musc. 10 (1819), et Bry. univ. ii, 161 {1827).
Phase. Bruchil S p r e n g . in L . s y s t . v e g . iv , 142 (1S 2 7). H u e b e n . M u s c . g e rm . 5 (18 33).
Archid. phascoides B r id . Br. univ. i, 747, t. Suppl. 3 (1826). S c h w a e g r . Suppl. I ll , P. I, t.
205 (1827). B r . S c h im p . Bry, eur. fase, i (1837). D e N o t . Syll. n. 391 (1838).
H a r tm . Skand. Fl. C. M u e l l . Syn. musc. i, 13 (1849). W i l s . Bry. Brit. 24, t. 5
(1855). H u s n . M o uss. nord-ouest 37 (1873).
Archid. alternifolium S c h im p . Syn. 28 (i860), et 2 ed. 23 et 810 (1876). B e r k . Handb. Br.
m. 303, t, 24, f. 10 (1863). M i l d e Bry. Siles. 131 (i86g). D e N o t . Epil. Bri. ital. 728
(1869). H o b k . Syn. Br. m. 26 (1873).
Paroicous or autoicous ; in flat la x dull green p a tch e s . Plants
v ery small, a t first simple, la ter becoming branched, prostrate with e re c t
innovations, and many slender small-leaved flagella. Stem leaves
remote, minute, narrowly lanceolate, perich. b ra c ts forming a coma,
crowded, much longer, from an oval concav e base, lan ceolate -subu late,
denticula te at apex ; nerve narrow, vanishing in th e apex ; areolation
rec tangular a t base, rhomboid above. Capsule terminal, or la teral by
innovation, concealed in th e perichætium, soft, pale yellow, globose,
breaking up at maturity. Spores very la rge , about i 5, smooth yellowish.
Anther idia in the axils o f the perich. b ra c ts , or a t base o f perichætium,
enclosed in two or more small ovate nerveless b ra c ts .
H ab.— W et fields and heaths, not rare. F r - 3- 5 -
Gamlmgay bogs (Rdkan). Stevmgton bogs (Abbot). Belfast (Drummond) ! Henfield
(Borrer) ! Hareley wood (Nowell 1856) ! ! Mere and Ashley, Cheshire (Hunt) I I
Brighton and Tilgate forest (Davies) 1 I Todmorden (Nowell) ! I Glenprosen (Fergusson)
Dunnottar, Banchory (Sim 1870) 1 Coleshill, Warwick. (Bagnall).
This curious little moss varies in size, and also in the density, length
and width of the leaves and extent of the nerve, which is sometimes ex-
current. Although the capsule differs in structure from all other mosses by
the absence of a spore sac and columella, its affinity is so close to Pleuridium
in habit and foliage, that it seems to be better placed near that genus, than to
regard it with Schimper as the type of a distinct family and order of
anomalous mosses. Without the fruit it bears much resemblance to Pleuridium
alternifolnm with which it was confounded by the early botanists. Our species
is the only one found in Europe, but several closely allied forms occur in
N. America.
2. P L E U R I D I U M B r i d .
(Mant. musc. lo (i8ig). )
Plants very small, often producing flagella. L e a v e s lan c eo la te and
lanceolate-subulate, nerved, glossy. Capsule cleistocarpous, on a short
pedicel, ovato-globose, with a short point, smooth, glossy. Ca lyp tra
small, cuculla te. Spores ra the r la rge , granular.— Deriv. irhevpihov at
th e side.
C l a v is t o t h e S p e c ie s .
Perich. bracts like the leaves; nerve narrow; cells large, lax. axillare.
Perich. bracts much longer than the leaves ; nerve broad; cells small.
Paroicous, perich. bracts lanceolate-subulate. subulatum.
Autoicous, perich. bracts oval, suddenly narrowed to a long setaceous
alternifolium.
I . PLEUEIDIUffi A X I I IA R E {Dicks.) Lindh.
P a roicou s ; leaves and bra cts nar rowly lanceolate, a cute , serrulate,
pale and glossy, laxly areolate ; nerve thin, vanishing below apex.
Capsu le oval. (T. X IV , B.)
SYN.— Phascum axillare D i c k s . Cr. fasc. I, 2, T. t, f. 3 (1785). Sm. Eng. Bot. 1 .1036 (1802) ■ Fl
Bnt. I ll, 1149 (1804). T u r n . M u s c . hib. r (1804). W e b . M o h r Bot, Tasch. 63 (1807).
R o e h l . Ann. Wett. ges. i, 193 (iSog), et Deutsch. Fl, iii, 35 (iSiz). L a P y l . J. Bot.
(1813). H o o k , T a y l . M u s c . Brit. 7, t. 5 (181S). C a s s e b , in Ann. Wett. ges. iv, 94 (1819).
G r a y Nat. arr. Br. pi. i, 7 ir (1821). H o o k . Fl. Scot- P. 2, r22 (r82r) ; Br. Flora ii 3
(1833). N e e s H o r n s c h . Bry. germ, i, 6r ,t .5,f. 15 (rS23). H u e b e n .Bry. germ.4 (1833).
B a l s . D e N o t . Prod. Bry. mediol. 175 {1834). M a c k a y Fl. hib. P. 2, p. 8 (1836).
D e N o t . Syll. musc. n. 401 (1838).
Phascnm nitidum H e d w . Stirp. cr. i, 92, t. 34 (1787) ; Sp. musc. 19 (1801). T imm Fl. meg.
n . 717 (1788). S c h r a n k Bayers. Fl. ii, 434 (1789). W i t h . Bot. arr. Br.Veg. 3 ed. iii,
787 (1796). H o f fm . Deutsch. Fl. ii, 20 (1796). Brid. Musc. rec. ii, P. i, 15 (1798) ; Sp.
musc. I, 6 (i8o6) ; Mant. 7 (1819) ; Bry. univ. i, 35 (1S26). H u l l Br. Fl. P. 2, 252 (1799).
bCHRAD. J . Bot. 1799, p. 55. R o t h Fl. germ, iii, P. i, 113 (1800). R o e h l . Moosg.
Deutsch. 24(1800). P. B e a u v . Prodr. 82(1805). S c h u l t z Fl. Starg. 272 (1S06). S c h k u h r
Deutsch. Kr. gew. P. II, 4 ,1.1 , f. i (1810). S c h w a e g r . Suppl. I, p. 1 ,7 (1811). M a r t . Fl.
cr. Erl. 126 (1817). B r . S ch im p . Bry. eur. fasc. i, p. 12, t. 6 (1837). W i l s . Bry. brit.
34, t. 5 (1855). PIusN. M o u s s . nord-ouest 35 (1873). H o b k . Syn. Br. m. 30 (1873).
Phase, curvicollmn (non E h r h .) S w a r t z Sum. Veg. Scand. 38 (1814). H a r tm . Skand.
Fl. 1— 8 edd. (1820-61).
Astomum nitidum H am p e in Linnæa (1832). C . M u e l l . Synops. i, 1 7 (184g).
Epkcmerum nitidum H am p e in Reg. bot. Zeit. 1837, P* h 2S5.
Astomum axillare H a m p e in Linnæa xii, 533 (1838).
Phase, stagninum W a l l r . in Linnæa xiv, 680 (1S40).