T h e perichætial leaves (f. f . ‘6. 6. 7) arc imbricated on all sides ; th e exterior resemble
th e cauline ones, except in b e ing somewhat la i'ge r; th e r e s t gradually grow wider iu
proportion to theii' le n g th , and become less scariose a t th e ma rg in , firmly embracing
and surrounding each o th e r ; th e inne rm ost appear to answer tlie purpose o f a calyx,
enclosing th e peduncle in th e form o f a cylindi'ical tu b e , which, indeed, is scarcely
distinguishable from a tru e calyx, except by th e longitudinal sutm-e, formed by th e
im'oluted margins (f. 7 ) ; in color and textm-e they resemble th e o th e r leaves, only
th a tt they are paler and hai-e generally a p urple o r brownish tin g e n e a r th e apex.
M .a le F r u c t if ic a t io n 1 h a v e n e v e r s e e n .
F em a l e F r u c t if ic a t io n t e rm in a l o n th e s tem s a n d b r a n c h e s .
Calyx none th a t I have ever been able to discover,
Calyptra (f. 8) ovate, pellucid, white, surrounded a t th e base w ith a few barren pistilla,
some o f which I hai-e seen a tta ched here and th e re to various p a rts o f its surface.
Bedunde wMto, succulent, scarcely a q u a rte r o t a n inch long, stria ted longitndinally
and, also, though less evidently, transversely.
Capsule min u te , nearly spherical, o f a reddish and shining b rown color, strongly p unc ta ted.
I t bui'sts in to four equal, ovate segments, discharging numerous and extremely m inute
Seeds and spiral filaments, which I had n ot an opportunity of repre senting o n th e p late,
n o t h a rin g received th em till th e en graving was finished: they a re o f a deep fulvous
color ; th e former exactly spherical, th e la tte r somewhat longe r th a n those o f J . julacea,
and composed o f a double helix.
This species grows profusely on th e summits o f th e mounta ins o f th e N o rth Highlands of
Scotland, and appears to be equally common on th e Continent. I n Iceland i t is likewise
extremely abundant, more so th a n any o f th e genus, and I suspect is eveiy where more
frequently m e t w ith th a n J . julacea, which, as already observed u n d e r th a t p la n t, i t greatly
resembles in many particulars. I ts mode o f grow th is very unifo rm , and th e even tops o f all
th e shoots is sti-iking, th o u g h i t occasionally happens th a t specimens a re found, from th e centre
o f th e (hick b lu n t ends o f which a re produced small, th in , cylindrical shoots, e ith e r simple or
forked, as in Bartramia fo n ta n a o r Fucus lumbricalis, destined in all probability to supply th e
flowei-s o f th e following season, an d th e n to grow in every re spe c t s imila r to th e stems they
proceeded from.
I t is to Mr. L ightfoot, as has been also observed un d e r th e description o f J .ju la c e a , th a t
th e c red it is due o f first d is tinguishing th e two plants, and accurately defining th e ir characters.
./. concinnata has, indeed, long been well-known on th e C o n tin en t, th o u g h n o t separated from
.7. julacea, u n d e r which name many o f those authors have described i t ; misled, perhaps, by a
rema rk o f E h rh a rt, in his B e iträ g e* , where he says th a t J .ju la c e a has bifarious leaves. T h e
^ Beitr. Bund. u i . p. 8
figure in H o ra D a d m is good, except tl.a t th e te rmina l o r perichætial leaves arc n o t repre sented
as imbricated on all sides, and something like a ealyx is th e re given as rising above
th e leaves, vvhieb i have never been able lo obaeiTO in th e many specimens th a t liave come
u n d e r my observation. Roth also de.scribes a calyx ■' in caule vel ramis te rmina lis, mono-
hvllns, tubulosus, tnm c a tu s probably m istak in g th e inne r perichætial leaf, as I myself did
a t 'i i r s t ’ for a fin e calyx. 1 however was afterwards induced to be o t a different opinion, and
in various disseclinns have uniformly found this species to possess, instead o f th e ealyx, an
in n e r and tu b u la r perichætial leaf, as above described. I f I have n o t be en deceived in my
examination of this species, by th e minuteness o t th e obje c t, th e absence o t a real calyx in
tins p lant may be considered as coniiecüng it more closely w ith th e order o t Musci, and
especially w ith th e genus A u i r i a , to two o f th e species o f which (54. rupeslrit and a lp im j
i t approaches, also, in h ab it and ramification.
R E F E R E N C E S T O T H E P L A T E .
1. 1, 1. Barren plants o f J . condnnata, natural size.
2. Female p la n t, natural size.
3 . Female p la n t m a g n ifie d ........................................................................................................ ^
4. Portion o f the stem and leaves ..................................................................................... 4
5. L e a f ............................................................................................................................................... ^
6. 6. E iie r io r perichætial leaves .......................................................................................... ^
7 . Interior perichætial lea f .................................................................................................... ^
8. Extremity o f a fructified stem, with a portion o f the inner perichætial | ^
leaf, calyptra, peduncle, and ca p su le ................. ...........................................