B R Y U M pyriforme.
Pear-Jhaped Bryum.
C R TP TO G A M I A Mufti.
G en. Char. Capfule with a lid. Veil fmooth. Flower-
Jialk from a terminal tubercle.
S pec. Char. Stem none. Capfules obovate, eredt,
without ciliae. Veil awl-fhaped. Leaves ovate,
fpreading, acute, beardlefs.
S y n . Bryum pyriforme. Linn. Sp. PI. 15 8 0 . Hudf.
FI. jin . 475* W ith. Bot. A rr. v. 3 . 10 4. ed. 2.
v . 3. 81 a . Relh. Cant. Suppl. 1 . 18 . Dick/. H.
Sicc, fafc. 4 . 2 2.
Bryum parvum ereftis piriformibus majufculis capi-
tulis, foliis Serpilli pellucidis. Raii Spn. 93.
B. ferpillifolium pellucidum, capfulis pyriformibus.
Dill. Mufc. 3 4 4 . t. 4 4 . ƒ . 6.
Gymnoftomum pyriforme. Sibth. Ox. 2 7 4 .
F 'R E Q U E N T on h e a th s, ditch-banks, & c. in moift fhady
places, brin g in g its capfules to m a tu rity in th e fpring for the
m o ft p a rt, th o u g h , as Dillen iu s rema rks, th ey may be m e t with
occafionally all th e ye ar long.
R o o t annual. Stem n o n e , except th a t w h en th e p lan ts are
p ro d u c ed early in th e year, and g row lu x u rian t, they th row o u t
la te ra l Ihoots o f leaves a little elevated on fhort b ranche s, and
th efe flower la te r th an th e p a ren t p lan t. Leaves feveral, fpreadin
g like a lia r, ovate, e n tire , a cu te , b u t w ith o u t any terminal
h a ir o r b r if tle ; th e ir colour is a pale pellucid gre en . Stalk
c en tra l, very fliort, be aring a large eredt capfule, oval when
y o u n g , an d capped w ith a w h itilh awl-fhaped veil, which D illen
iu s defcribes as being an g u la r like th a t o f B. hygrometricum,
3 4 2j h u t we have fo u n d it cylindrical. In rip en in g th e capfule
becomes pear-fhaped, o r th ick e r tow a rd s th e to p , and the
veil fplits an d falls off. T h e cover is conical. T h e orifice
d e ftitu te o f te e th o r cilia, w h ic h ch a ra c te r makes th e genus Gym-
nojlomum (n ak ed -m o u th ) o f Hedw ig , an d it is p e rhaps one o f his
beft defined o n e s; b u t fo r reafons a lready given, p. 180, we defer
a d o p tin g any o f th em till experience has fixed them.