TETRAPHIS PELLUCIDA. PELLUCID TETRAPHIS.
TETRAPHIS £Äci&;^caule elongate, foliés ovato-acuminatis, perichætialitas lanceolatis, capsula
TETRAPHIS pelhicida. Hedw. Sp.Musc. p . 4,5. t. 7. f . 1. Swartz Mme. Suec. p . 21. Turner
Mme. Hib. p. 12. Mong. et Nest. n. 14. BridelMusc. ml. l. p. 43. Mohr Fl
Crypt. Germ. p. 93. Smith Fl. Brjt. p . 1179. Engl. Bot. t. 1030. Wahl. Lapp.
, .-TTTTur ,, ' Iioo'cer and Taylor Muse. Brit. p. 16. t. 8. u
MNTTTM Lim.1: SP- P l P- 1574- Schmid. Icon. p. 13. t. 3. Lightf. Scot. p. 705.
MNIUM seipylh foins tenuibus pellucidis. Dill. Muse. p. 232. t. 31. f 2. P
MJNIU M minus non ramosum, angustioribus et pellucidis foliis. Dill, in Raii Syn. p . 78.
Class an d Ord e r . CRYPTOGAMIA MUSCI.
[N atural O rd er. MUSCI, Juss. Decand.]
S f Char m B I T * “ '■ simplex, quadridentatum, denlibus erectis; Calyptra mitriformis.
GEN. char. Iruitstalh terminal; Peristome simple, four-toothed, teeth erect; Calyptra mitriform.
Radix fibroso-tomentosa, fusca. -
CauLes pollicares, plerumque dense casspitosi, erecti,
flexuosi, teretes, rubicundi, subpeilucentes, sim-
plices, rarius hie illic innovationibusdivisi, inferne
fere aphylli, superne foliosi. .
Polia erecta, lutescente-viridia, subnitida, inferiora mi-
nuta, distantia, anguste ovata, subacuminata; re-
liqua imbricata, late ovata, breviter acuminata,
rigidiuscula, undulata, ad marginem ubique om-
15100 integerri rna, paululum concava, areolata, j
areolis mmutissimis, neirvo satis valid©, paulo infra
apicern evatiescenfe, instructa: Perigonialia
quatuor vel sex, ovata, acuminata, sed apice
•obtusiuscula, inferne convexa, nervo tenui: Pe-
rich®tialia lanceolata, subacuminata, carinata,
nervo valido.
•PRUCTIPIC ATIO dioica,
F los masc. in summitatem caulis: Anther® oblong®,
breviter pedunculat®, reticulat®, filis succulentis,
artaculatis, pellucentibus immixt®..
Flos pcem. in summitatem caulis: . Pistilla sex vel
plura, filis succulentis destituta.
Se ta vix unci am longa, rubra, erecta, l®vis.
Capsula cylindracea, maturitate magis oblonga, erecta,
vel paululum inclinata, ore subdilatato.
O perculum conico-acuminatum, flavescens, basi ru-
brum, insigniter tenerum, fere membranaceum,
pellucidum-.
Calyptra lineari-oblonga, campanulata, plicato-sulca-
ta, Integra, margine solummodo subdentata, pal-
lide fusca, apice fiasco intensiore imbuta.
P eristoMium e dentibus quatuor, lanceolato-acumina-
tis, erectis, rufo-fuscis, coriaceo-membranaceis,
opacis, reticularis, areolis in lineis longitudinali-
bus dispositis.
Gemmae numeros®, in cyathis ad extremitatein caulium
elongatorum, e foliis plerumque tribus obcordatis
constructis, rotundat®, compress®, reticulat®
Virides. H® gemm® dum in cyathis restant non
rare radiculas singulas, longiusculas, albas, pellu-
cidas, articulatas protrudunt, ut ad jig . 17 appa-
reant.
Root, fibrous-totnentose, brown.
Stems an inch high, generally thickly c®spitose, erect,
flexuous, round, reddish, subpellucid, simple,
rarely here and there divided by innovations*
below almost destitute of leaves, above furnished
with them.
L eaves erect, yellowish green, rather glossy, the lower
ones minute, distant, narrow ovate, subacumi-
riate; the rest imbricated, broadly ovate, shortly
acuminate, somewhat rigid, waved, everywhere
at the margin entire, a little concave, areolate,
with the areoles very minute, furnished with rather
a stout nerve, disappearing a little below the
point: Perigonial leaves from four to six, ovate,
acuminate, but rather obtuse at the extremity^
below convex, having a slender nerve: the Pe-
rich:etial leaves lanceolate, subacuminate, carinate,
Big. 1. 1. Plants, male, female, and gemmiferous, nat. size. Fig. Q Single male nlani- v;a. <? , i r
male plant. Fig. 4. Single gemmiferous plant. Fig. 5. Male flower Fh 6 P ^ L n ^ n f S'^ le| 0urng fe'
stem-leaf. 1% 8. Leaf of the stem. Fig. 9 Pemate « o n e r X '• leaf. JV". 7. Lower
the operculum being removed. Fig. 12. Teeth of the peristome laid^peo V - ^ O n emalum“ ' % ' ,T ‘ca
l^tra. Fig. 15. Interior view of the gemmiferous cup. Fig. 17. d em m a t.-J « 4 ,7% ? , m o r e 7 C ^ .
S £ r l Pg f r " 1 t l es“ faU“ ^
« ■ » ^
It was on account of these terminal heads or cups that the older authors included this plant amons their Hi ■
yet a more cits met genus than the present we have not in the order of Musci There i s . 1
the leaves of the whole plant, especially when dry. Its calyptra is totally different from teat „f ™ g f y about
hut approaches nearest to that o(Orthltrichum. The o p e i im is s h S a lly thin ^
rane spread ovet the teeth of the peristome; and if the capsule be examined before that period of maturity when
the operculum would fall off by the efforts o f nature, the attempt to remove it will only be attended with tlAonse
queoce of pulling it to pieces, and tearing away portions of the peristome to which it J l h E “ the ■ too ,T ch
are ,u number but four are very large in proportion to the size of the capsule. All these n e c u l i S s i ' l ' •
“ w ite ’re ' n 01‘t r P ant.°f the 8 'nus' Tetraphk ovata, hut which is widely different in other respects 1
, 8 l° ,?10 strucl;nre of the peristome, it will he seen by the annexed figure that it is formed of closelv
s & r t &
w s m S r T 'T °f l',0 rlc.clh- real number o f teeth in this genus will be thirty.two. To me "however
with a strong nerve.
Fructification dioicous.
Ma le flower in the summit of the stem: Anthers
oblong, shortly pedunculate, reticulated, inter-
mixed with succulent, jointed, pellucid filaments.
Female flower terminal: Pistils six or more, destitute
of succulent filaments.
Fruitstalk an inch long, red, erect, smooth.
Capsule cylindrical, more oblong in maturity, erect,
or a little inclined, with the mouth slightly expanded.
Operculum conico-acuminate, yellow, reddish at the
base, remarkably delicate, almost membranaceous,
pellucid.
Calyptra linear-oblong, campanulate, plicato-sulcate,
entire, the margin alone subdentate, pale brown,
at the extremity tinged with a deeper brown.
P eristome o f four teeth, which are lanceolate-acuminate,
erect, reddish brown, coriaceo-membrana-
ceous, opaque, reticulated, with the areoles disposed
in longitudinal lines.
Gemm® numerous, in cup-like processes at the extremity
of the elongated stems, which are composed
of, generally, three obcordate leaves, roundish,
compressed, reticulate, green. These gemm®,
while they remain in the cups, throw out, not un-
frequently, single, longish, white, pellucid, jointed
radicles, as seen atyftg-. 17.