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ANDRiEA rupestris,
Dusky Rock Andrcea.
CRYPT0GAM1A Musci.
Gen. Char. Caps, very short. F r in g e ample, of 4
incurved teeth, cohering at their tips, and bearing
the lid and veil. 6
Spec. Char. Leaves lanceolate, keeled, sickle-shaped,
leaning one way.
Syn. Andrasa rupestris. Sm. F I . B r i t . 1178.
Jungermannia rupestris. L in n . Sp. P I . 1601. Huds.
516. W i th . 882. H u ll. 281. L igK t f . 787.
D ick s . H . S ic c .fa s c . 7. 23.
Lichenastrum alpinum nigricans, foliis capillaceis re-
flexis. DHL Muse. 507. t. 13. f . 40.
T h e late Mr. Ehrhart of Hanover, one of the most industrious
and correct botanists, and an ardent pupil of Linnaeus,
first separated this genus from Jungermannia, and removed it,
with unquestionable propriety, to the true mosses. He was
one of the first who understood the real genera of this tribe j
and being entrusted with the printing o f Linnaeus’s Supplemen-
tum, he had introduced some of his principles into that work ;
but the younger Linnaeus, not having studied the subject,
with misplaced indignation cancelled the sheet.
This plant grows on moist alpine rocks. We received it
from Mr. Robson. It is perennial, bearing fruit in the spring
and summer. The stems are half an inch high, branched,
leafy, forming tufts. Leaves dull green or blackish, imbricated,
curved to one side, acute, keeled, sickle-shaped, entire,
without any nerve. Stalks terminal, solitary, short, pale brown,
clothed with larger, closely imbricated, leaves. Capsule erect,
whitish, small and shallow. Fringe of 4 very large, lanceolate,
incurved, brown teeth, cohering at their points, and originally
tipped with the lid and veil, see our next plate.