Muscoides squamosum, saxatile, maximum, compressum, ex obscuro virescens, fo liis subrotundis
non n ihil denticulatis. M i c h e l i , N od. Gen. p . 9 . 1 .6 . f . I .
Lichenastrum Arboris Fitoe fa c ie , fo liis rotundioribus. D il l . Muse. t. 7 2 . / . 3 3 .
Jungermannia, fo liis imbricatis, lanceolatis, superne planis, aliernis, inferné concavis,
quinquefariis. H a l l . Helv. i i i . p .6 1 . n . 1 8 7 2 . var. f i.
H a b . — a is extremely abundant ujion old walls, rocks, and even on th e tru n k s o f trees,
in various pai-ts o f th e kingdom ; flourishing w ithin the influence o f the smoke o f la rge
towns. — fi has hitherto lieen found only in Ireland, by Miss Hutchins, upon stones
by th e side o f Gougaii Ba rra I.ake, among th e mountains ne a r Bantry. — y was first
discovereil in this country by Mr. Archibald Menzies, in August, 1778, g rowing upon
tre e s on tlie N ortli side o f Loch Ness, in Scotland. — I t has since been gathered by
M r. Templeton, on moist rocks, by the side o f a waterfall, ne a r Carrifergus, in Ireland.
— (Upon a th e female fructification is produced in March and A p ril; b u t some o f Mr.
Menzies' specimens o f the fi, which he has been so good as to fu rn ish me with, c o n -'
ta in perfect capsules, g a the red in A u g u s t.— Mr. LyeU lias detected th e male fructification
in th e month o f March.)
This P l a n t grows in considerable patches, with every individual imbric a ting each o th e r, as is
th e case with J . Hutchinsice ; o r, to use tlie words o f Dillenius, “ Magnis cæspitibus e t
numerosà serie invicem congestis, arboribus e t muris adnascitur hic muscus.
T h e roots a re with difficulty discoverable, a few rig id , extremely b rittle , and somewhat
ligneous fibres, may now and tlien be seen to descend from th e lower p a rt o f th e plant.
Siems from one to two an d thre e inches in len g th (or even five inches, in fi and y ) ,
scarcely so thick as smuU packthread, very flexuose, and pinnated often w ith strag g lin g
branches, in some instances with m uch g re a te r regula rity th an in o th e rs ; these pinnæ
a rc n ot unfrequently again divided w ith short aud nearly h o rizonta l simple pinnulæ.
Th e ir texture is firm, opaque, and even woody below, b u t, towards the ex trem ity , th e
cellular tex tu re is very visible. T h e color varies from a deep brown to a yellow, b u t
dirty green.
Leaves closely imbricated in two rows, so as wholly to conceal th e up p e r side o f th e s tem ;
they are unequally two-lobed, having th e up p e r one considerably th e la rge st, and nearly
three quarters of a lin e (in y more) in len g th , often largest a t th e extremity o f the
branches, distichous*, a lte rna te , horizontal, ovate, approaching to round, slightly concave
above, w ith th e m a rg in s, particularly a t th e apex, incurved, entire, or he re and
th e re very slightly toothed : th e lower lobe or lobulus is ligula te , diagonally appressed
to th e inferior surface of th e u p p e r o n e ,. plane, having th e ma rgins only re cun'ed
and entire. T h e color o f th e leaves is a deep, and sometimes bla ckish-green, opaque, free
from gloss in a ; th e texture is ra th e r com p a c t; th e cellules m in u te , roundish ( f 11).
•D ille n iu s has been very happy in his description of this species, of the leaves in particular, “ foliis crebris"
are his words, “ imbricarttn congestis, alternâ serie a dextrà ad sinistram, a sinistrâ ad dextram impositis, tenui-
bus, modicè pellucidis, saturantur viridibus, aut ex fusco virentibus, apicibus e t marginibus deorsùm fiexis, ut
velut rotunda folia appareant.”
Perigonial leaves (f. f. 5. 6. 7 ) closely imbricated upon sh o rt la te ra l ramuli, so as to form
an ovate compact mass, n ot much unlike the spicula o f o._Briza (f. 6 ) ; each is
smaller th a n one of the common le av e s ,. and divided into nearly etjual, very concave,
not apiiressed, lobes, resembling those o f J . resupinata, and having th e ir margins a
little ini'olufe, and altoge the r free from denticulation.
The Perichceiial leaves scarcely differ from those o f th e stem, except th a t tliey are smaller,
and th a t the lobule is somewhat la rg e r in proportion to the lobe. T h e re are two to
each calyx.
Stipules ( f .f . 10. 1 2 ) ; o f these th e re is one to each pair o f leaves, arising from th e under
side o f th e stem , and appressed to i t ; it is oblongo-ovate o r lig u la te , much resembling
th e lobule, and in like manner recurved aud entire.
Male F kuctii-ication (f. f. 5. 6) situated in the axillæ o f th e perigonial leaves. There is one
A nthe r (f. 7 ) in each o f them , which is la rg e , in proportion to th e size o f the leaf, and
presents an exterior reticulated cuticle, b u t w ith in is filled with a m inute greyish granulated
substance. T h e fo o ts ta lk is scarcely more th a n h a lf th e len g th o f th e an th e r, white , transversely
striated.
F emale F ructification la te ra l* , a rising from th e unde r side o f th e pinnæ.
Calyx (f. f. 14. 15) a line or more in len g th , ovate, narrow and cylindrical a t the base,
b u t gradually becoming wider, a t first compressed and fiat, tit len g th , for th e emission
o f th e capsule, e re c t, and nearly cylindrical. T h e wioaf/i is tru n c a te , inciso-serrate,
and c u t w ith a deep notch, on one side, ivhich extends nearly h a lf th e len g th of
th e calyx.
P ia illa , e ight o r te n in nnmbe r, ovato-knceolate, o f a greyish color, longitudinally and
transversely ma rked rvitli dai'ker lines: the mouth a little expanded.
Calyptra exactly spherical, contracted a t th e base, vvhleh forms a kind o t footsta lk:
i t is ra th e r caniose, b u t elegantly marked iviüi a tomuUsh retieulation, and termi-
nated by a short tu b u la r style.
Peduncle scarcely equal in len g th to th e calyx, whitish, cellulose, tipped w ith th e
perfectly spherical
Capsule, o t a p a le yellowish-brown color (t. f. 15. 18) ; on b u rstin g , which it does from
th e apex, the four equal valves extend no more th a n h a lf th e len g th o f th e capsule,
and never appe a r to expand, h n t, even when old, continue erect. T h e terture o f this
capsule is particularly delicate, and, under a highly magnifying power, e.xhibits a
reticulated s tn ic tu re , very m uch like th a t o f the ca lyptra , h u t having, on th e bordeis
o f th e areolæ, a g ranula ted appearance (f. 19).
Seed, (f. 20) numerous, by no means perfectly spherical, o t a pale olive-brown color.
• D illenias say. ii is terminal as well a . lateral, wHch I have not ob.envd to be the ease. In other respeets,
h i. desetlption is v e t, ehametenstio. " A b infetioti patte ea ipso nervo v .jio æ otio n in t tenoes memhtan.eese,
subvitentes, pedicnlo brevissimo b a tten t.., e tamorum eat.emin.Sbn. et seeundnm eornm longi.odtnem ested,entes,
sntshm tendentes, in summii.te ab initio infleam, dein reel*, mediotènus bivalves, non .ngnlosie, m quibns
gtana latent atro-vitidia, colo.e, ubi e .nmpnnt, spadiceo, in dotes fnsco-infeseente, dehiseenna.'