/ y o .
D I C R A N U M rigidulum.
Rigid-leaved Fork-moss.
CRYPTOGAMIA Musci.
Gen. Ch a r . Caps, oblong. Fringe of 16 flat, cloven
teeth, a little inflexed.
S pec. Ch a r . Stem erect, at length branched. Leaves
awl-shaped, pointed: those on the branches curved
towards one side. Capsule urn-shaped, incurved.
Syn. Dicranum rigidulum. Swartz Muse. Suec. 38 and
89. t. 3 .f . 7. Hedw. Sp. Muse. 134. t. 32. f . 8— 12.
Sm. FI. Brit. 1211. Turn. Muse. Hib. 62.
S e N T b y D r . S c o tt from th e n e ig h bourhood o f D u b lin to
M r . T u rn e r, to w h om we are obliged for o ur specimens. It
grows in a m o ist clay soil, and is p e ren n ial, fo rm in g dense
tu fts , co nspicuous fo r th e lig h t sh in in g green o f th e leaves,
w h ic h are slender, awl-sh ap ed , very a cu te , e n tire , with a
single rib , ra th e r rigid to th e to u ch wh en d ry : the radical
ones are n um e ro u s, n e arly e rec t, o r spreading every way
a lik e ; those o n th e lateral b ran ch e s th a t come o u t from near
th e base o f th e fru it-s ta lk , an d rise as h ig h as its top, are
curved m ore o r less toward o n e side. F ru it-s ta lk n o t h a lf an
in c h h ig h , red, sh in in g . Capsule lean in g an d o ften curved,
o f a sh o rt u rn -sh a p ed fo rm , spreading a t th e m o u th , light-
b row n , sm o o th b u t n o t sh in in g . F rin g e h a lf as long as the
capsule , o f a fine red, striated , th e tip s pale. L id conical,
swelled a t th e b a se , o ften beyond th e diameter o f th e capsule.
Veil awl-shaped, stra ig h t, o ften reddish.
I n b a rren situ a tio n s, q r d ry seasons, th is moss forms no
lateral sh o o ts, in w h ic h state it seems to be M r. Dick so n ’s
Bryurn callistomum. I t is n o t however Dicranum callistomum
o f FI. Brit., th e d e sc rip tio n o f w h ic h was made from specim
en s o f varium, e rroneously sen t for callistomum before I
k n ew th e real o ne .