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S P L A C H N U M fpbaericum.
G r e e n g lo b u l a r S p la c h n u m .
CRYPT OGAM IA Mufcl.
G en . Char. Capfule c y l i n d r i c a l , p l a c e d o n a f i e f l i y
receptacle. F ringe o f a A m p l e r o w o f t e e t h .
Spe c . Char. R e c e p t a c l e n e a r l y g l o b u l a r , g r e e n .
L e a v e s o v a t e , p o i n t e d , e n t i r e .
Sy n . Splachnum fphsericum. S w a r tz , in Lin n . fil.
M e tb .M u fe . 3 3 . t. l . f . 1 . D ic k f. Crypt, fafc. 1 . 3.
W i th . 7 9 1 . H u ll. 245.
A m i d all the doubts and difficulties that modern botanifts
have met with in fixing the genera of moffes, the Splachnum
remains unffiaken. Its effential character depends on the fuc-
culent receptacle, always thicker and more turgid than the
cylindrical capfule which it fuftains. The male flowers form
a little terminal ftar on a feparate root from the female.
This rare fpecies was firft obferved in Britain by my worthy
friend and fellow-ftudent Dr. Francis Buchannan, now refident
in Bengal, who gathered it on a mountain near Stirling in
1782. Mr. Sowerby received the prefent fpecimens from North
Wales, by favour of J. W. Griffith Efq. bearing its ripe fruit
In the month of July.
It forms green tufts, each plant being Ample, with a fibrous,
feemingly annual, root, and a fhort, leafy, upright ftem.
Leaves alternate, broad, ovate, pointed, entire, undulated, of a
fine reticulated ftrufture, with one Ample rib. Fruit-flalk
folitary, terminal, ere<5t, a little waved, pale reddifli yellow,
green at the fummit, terminated by a dark-green, almoft gl°
bular receptacle, on which Hands the fmall cylindrical brown
capfule, at firft covered with a blunt hemifphmrical lid, which
foon falls off, and the orifice appears fringed with a Ample row
of fpreading teeth.' The columella pjoje&s a little, with a
blunt red head.