U / z
G R I M M 1 A nigrita.
Black-fruited Grimmia.
CRYPTOGAMIA Musci.
Gen. Char. Fringe simple, of 16 teeth, broadest at
their base. Flowers terminal. Veil cylindrical.
Spec/ Char. Leaves lanceolate, dilated at the base.
Capsule obovate, drooping. Lid hemisphærical
with a little point.
Syn. Grimmia nigrita. Roth. Germ. v. 3. 146. Sm,
FI. Brit. 1195.
Weisia nigrita. Hedw. Sp. Muse. 72. Crypt, v. 3.
97. t. 39.
Bryum nigritum. Dicks. Crypt, fasc. 3. 9. With.
840. Hull. 266.
T h i s rare moss was first noticed by Mr. Dickson on turfy
ground in Scotland. Mr. G. Don gathered our specimens, in
August 1807, on the sands of Borry, 7 miles from Dundee,
along with G. inclinata, t. 1824. It is always found near
the sea.
The stems form close perennial tufts, and are somewhat
branched, closely covered with imbricated, lanceolate, pointed,
entire, single-ribbed leaves, which are dilated at the base $ incurved,
and somewhat revolute, when dry : their colour is a
pale yellowish green. Fruit-stalk terminal, crimson, not an
inch high. Capsule small, obovate and singularly turgid,
drooping, smooth, dark brown, by age sometimes almost
black and obscurely furrowed. Lid convex, with a little
short blunt point, like the umbo of a shield.------ This moss
and the foregoing, unnoticed by Linnaeus, Dillenius, Ray, or
any of their correspondents, were reserved for the minute and
indefatigable observers of the present day, whose discoveries,
even in this well-explored country, are continually enriching
the science of natural history.
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