PHASCUM CURVICOLLUM. CURVED-STALK ED
PHASCUM.
PHASGUM curvicollum; aeaule, foliis lanceolatis acuminatis, capsula exserta globosa,- seta curvata.
PHASCUM curvicollum. Hedw. Stirp. Crypt, voh 1. Al l . . S p.Musc. p .9 ,\. Dicks. PI. Crypt.
.Jasc. 2 . p. 1. W ith..Bot. A r r . ed-. 4.v o l. 3. .p. 770. Engl. Bot. t. 9 05. Smith FI.
B r it. p. 1153. Mohr FI. Crypt. Germ. p. 65. _ Bridel M use. vol. 1. p. 11. Suppl.
vol. 1. p. 2. Schwaegr. Suppl. p. 7. Voit Muse. -Herbip. p . 6. Hooker e t Tayl. Muse.
B r it. p. 9. t. 5. Sturm Deutsch. FI. ,—
Class a n d Ord e r . ,. CRYPTOGAMIA MUSCI.
[N atural Ord e r . MUSCI, Linn-. Juss. Decand.]
Ge n . Char. Seta terminalis. Capsula operculo adnato. Calyptra dimidiata.
R adix fibroso-tomentosa, fusca.
Caulis vix ullus.
.Folia lanceolata, acuminata, exteriora minora, magis
ovata, subpatentia; interiora longiora, erecta,
omnia flaccida, pallide viridia, raro fuscescentia,
nervo subexcurrente percursa.
Se ta foliis. interioribus paululum brevior, curvata.
Capsula fere globosa, acumine obliquo, obtusiusciilo
j . .. : instructa.
Columella oblongo-cylindracea.
Semin a numerosa, parva, rotundata.
Root fibroso-tbmentose,'brown.
STEM scarcely any.
Leaves lanceolate, acuminate, the exterior the smallest,
more ovate, subpatent; the interior longer, erect,
in all -flaccid, pale green, rarely brownish,,furnished
with a subexcurrent nerve.
F ruitstalk a little shorter than the interior leaves,
curved.
Capsule almost globose, having an oblique rather obtuse
point.
Columella oblongo-cylindraceous.
Seeds numerous, small, roundish.
F ig. 1. Plants, nat. size. F ig . 2 .2 . 2. Plants, magn. F ig . 3. Perichastial leaf. _ F ig . 4. Cauline leaf. F ig . 5. Inferior
leaf. Fig. 6. Calyptra. Fig. 7. Bag of seeds. . Fig. 8. Columella; Fig. 9. Seeds.—All from Jig. 2.
' more Or less magn.
We have here the opportunity afforded us of representing upon one plate three species of Phascum, which differ
from all the rest o f the British individuals in having a lengthened fruitstalk. The present one, however, is remarkable
in another respect, in the curvature o f this fruitstalk as well as in the greater length o f the perichaetial leaves.
Hedwig first described it in his Stirpes, and1 on the Continent it does not appear to be uncommon. With us i t
has been found, according to the Botanist's Guide, on banks a t Clapham, Bedfordshire; on Gogmagog Hills, Cambridgeshire;
near Croydon, Surrey; near Findon, Sussex; near Beverley, Yorkshire:—from the latter county,
too, we have received fine specimens from our friends the Rev. M r. D alton and W. H. F. Talbot, Esq-.
PHASCUM RECTUM. UPRIGHT-STALKED
PHASCUM.
PHASCUM rectum', subacaule, foliis ovatis breviter apiculatis, capsula globosa exserta, seta sub-
erecta.
PHASCUM rectum. With. Bot. A r r . ed. 4. vol. 3. p. 771. t. 18. f . 1. Turn. Muse. Hib. p. 4.
Engl. Bot. t. 330. (sub nom. P . curvicolii.') Brid, Muse. Suppl. p. 2. Hooker et Tayl.
Muse. B r it. p. 9■ t. 5.
C lAss a n d Ord er, a n d Ge n . Ch a r . Vide Phascum curvicollum.
C aulis brevis, erectus, inferne radicibus fibroso-tomen-
tosis dense obsitus.
F olia subrigida, inferiora minora, superiora sensira majora,
omnia patentia, ovata, i’usco-viridia, nervo
saturatiore ultra apicem in apiculum brevem de-
sinente percursa ; marginibus recurvis.
S eta longe exserta, erecta vel paululum curvata.
Capsula globosa, ferruginea; Operculum conico-acu-
minatum.
Columella et Sem in a u t in P h . curvicollo.
St em short, erect, below thickly clothed with fibroso,-
tomentose roots.
Leaves somewhat rigid, the lower ones smaller, the
upper ones gradually larger, all of them patent,
ovate, brownish green, furnished with a deeper-
coloured nerve which terminates in a short sharp
point beyond the apex; the margins recurved.
F ruitstalk much exserted, erect or a little curved.
Capsule globose, ferruginous; Operculum or Lid co-
nico-acuminate.
Columella and Seeds as in Ph. curvicollum.
Fig. 1. Plants, nat. size. Fig. 2 .2 . The same, magn. Fig. 3. Leaves. Fig. 4. Bag o f seeds. Fig. 5. Columella.
Fig. 6. Seeds.—All from Jig. 2. more or less magn.'
Phascum rectum is wholly unknown to the Continental botanists, and with us, we think, has been confounded
with the one last described, from which it differs in the shape of the leaves, in their texture, which is more rigid,
in their short apiculus, and in the nearly upright fru its talks. I t is much more common than P . curvicollum, being
found frequently in fields that have lain untilled for one or two years, and there growing commonly with Wsissia
Starkeana, for which it may be mistaken if not carefully examined.
We have observed very distinctly a darkish line between the capsule and the operculum, without, however, ever
having seen them separate.