J i/Ù.
[ l l 3S ]
G R I M MI A conoftoma.
Cone-mouthed Grimmia.
CRYPTOGAMIA Mùfci.
G en . Char. F r in ge fimple, o f 16 teeth, broadeff at
their bafe. Flowers terminai. Veil cylindrical.
Spe c . Char. Leaves lanceolate, finely ferrated,
bearded, imbricated in five rows. Capfule round-
ifh. Fringe cohering at the point.
Synv Bryum tetragonum. Dick/. Crypt, fa f c . a. 8.
t. 4. f . 9. W i th . 835. H u ll. 264.
Conoftomum arclicum. Sw a r t z . M S S .
M r . DICKSON firft obferved this mofs upon Ben Lomond.
Mr. G. Donn has alfo found it on fome other Scottifh mountains,
as Ben Lawers, Loch-ne-gare, and the Corum-gorum
hills of Invernefs-thire. It is perennial, bearing its fruit in
July and Auguft.
The Items are branched, an inch or two in height, and
form denfe even-topped tufts. The leaves are lanceolate,
keeled, minutely ferrated, tipped with a fmall point, clofely
imbricated in 3 rows. Stalk an inch high, reddilh, not quite
ftraight. Capfule a little drooping, and fomewhat oblique,
roundilh, at length furrowed, of a yellowilh brown. Fringe
red, of 16 fimple taper teeth,' cohering at their points. Lid
conical, curved, half as long as the capfule; The veil we have
not feen.
We are obliged to Mr. Donn for remarking that the {lender
{hoots reprefented in Mr. Dickfon’s plate are probably the effe&s
of damp package, they not being found in the plant in its
native fituation. Dr. Swartz, who has fent us Lappland fpe-
cimens, rightly obferves that the {hoots have five (not merely
four) angles. Hence being obliged to change the fpecific
name, we have adopted one expreffive of the conical united
fringe, a circumftance fo remarkable that Dr. Swartz thinks
it enough to conftitute a generic chara&er, We acknowledge
the habit greatly ftrengthens his opinion.