'tPS
[ 2 1 6 7 ]
D I C R A N U M spuriura.
Broad-leaved Fork-moss.
CRYPTOGAMIA Musci.
Gen. Char. Caps, oblong. Fringe of 16 flat, cloven
teeth, a little inflexed.
Spec. Char. S tem b ranched, level-topped. Leaves
ova te, pointed, con cav e, entire, k e e led , spreading
e v e ry w a y . C ap su le cylind rical, curved , furrowed.
Svn. D ic ran um spurium. Hedw. Sp. Muse. 141. Crypt,
v. 2 . 82. t. 3 0 . Sm. FI. Brit. 1 2 2 2 . Swartz.
Muse. Suec. 33.
Bryum spurium. Hoffin. Germ. v. 2 . 38. Dicks.
Crypt, fa sc . 4. 13.
No p e r s o n th a t w e k n o w o f h a s ev e r g a th e r e d th i s rem a rk a
b le m o s s in B r ita in , e x c e p t th e la te M r . T e e s d a le , F .L .S . , who
f o u n d it o n H o u g h to n a n d B a rn b y m o o r s , Y o r k s h ir e , growing
in t e rm ix e d w i th Mnium palustre, b u t w ith o u t f ru it. That
d e f e c t w e h a v e s u p p lie d , as fa r as w e c o u ld , f rom o n e o f Dr.
S w a r t z ’s s p e c im e n s , b u t th e f r in g e is s till d e f ic ie n t. Hedwig
fig u re s s om e o f th e te e th a s o c c a s io n a lly 3 -p o in te d . He
s e em s to c o n s id e r th i s sp e c ie s a s v e ry n e a r ly a llied to D. sco-
parium, t. 3 5 4 , n o t a d v e r tin g to th e e x tr em e ly d iffe ren t direct
i o n o f th e le a v e s , w h ic h in th e p r e s e n t sp re a d every way,
a n d a re m o r e o v e r so r em a rk a b ly in c u rv e d a n d f riz z le d when
d r y . T h e y o u n g o n e s a re o f a fin e p a le g re e n •, th e older
b r o w n o r b la c k , b u t still s h in in g . T h e i r p o in ts are finely
s e r r a te d . T h e f r u i t a n d s ta lk r e s em b le th o s e o f scoparium,
b u t th e c a p s u le is fu r row e d . F r in g e r e d , r a th e r s h o r t. Lid
aw ls h a p e d , s le n d e r.
E v e ry th in g a b o u t th i s Dicranum e v in c e s a m u c h greater
a ffin ity to polyphyllum t. 1217, Scotlianum, t. 1 3 9 1 , &c.,
th a n to scoparium a n d i t s a llie s .