Î ) I CRANUM ellipticum.
Elliptical Fork-moss.
CRYPTOGAMIA Musci.
Gen. Char. Caps, oblong. Fringe of 16 flat, cloven
teeth, a little inflexed.
Spec. Char. Stems but slightly branched, tufted. Leaves
awlshaped, pointless, ovate at their base. Capsule
elliptical, contracted at the mouth, erect. Lid
pointed, straight.
Syn. Dicranum ellipticum. Sm. FI. Brit. 1213. Turn.
Muse. Hib. 76. t. 6. f . 2.
Bryi n. 29 varietas atra. Dill. Musc. 371.
D l L L E N I U S ga the red th is m o ss, w ith o u t d istinguishing it
as a species from Trichostomum microcarpon, t. 1440, upon
th e cold sum m it o f Sn ow d o n , from w h ich famous spot Mr.
T u rn e r b ro u g h t o u r sp e c im en s. I t has been fo u n d by Mr.
R . B row n , a m o s t accurate observer, on th e to p o f th e Irish
m o u n ta in B u lb e in . I t bears fru it in J u n e and Ju ly .
T h e stems fo rm dense perennial tu fts , an d are a b o u t an inch
h ig h , simple o r slig h tly b ra n ch e d , clothed all over with imb
rica ted leaves. T h e la tte r are o f a lig h t gre en when young,
b u t so o n tu rn b row n , an d a t len g th q u ite b la ck . T h ey taper
from an ovate base, to a n awlshaped, b u t b lu n t an d beardless,
p o in t, an d have a single rib and an e n tire m a rg in . They
curve a little , e specially w h en y o u n g , towa rd one side. Fruit-
sta lk h a lf an in c h lo n g , so lita ry , e re c t, spirally twisted when
d ry . Capsule u p rig h t, exactly e llip tic al, sm o o th , brown,
sh o rtish , w ith a c o n tra c te d m o u th . T e e th closely inflexed,
b row n . L id stra ig h t, sh a rp -p o in te d , n o t so lo n g as th e capsule.