JOjO [ 2269 ]
CRYPTOGAMIA Musci.
Gen. Chau. Caps, oblong. F r in g e o f 16 flat, cloven
teeth, a little inflexed.
Spec. Char. Stem branched. Leaves Iinear-awlshaped,
curled when dry. Capsule obovate, nearly straight,
• furrowed.
Syn. Dicranum polycarpum. E h r h . Crypt. 84. Srn.
F I . B r i t . 1227. Swartz. M u s e . Suec. 32.
Fissidens polycarpos. Hedw. Sp. M u s e . 159. C ry p t,
v. 2. 85, t. 31.
G rA T H E R E D in g re a t p e rfe c tion b y M r. G . Do n , u p o n the
sum m it o f Ben H ig h , Aberdeenshire, in A u g u st 1802. His
spe c imens a g re e e x a c tly w ith those sent u s b y E h rh a r t and
Swartz, a n d we believe a re th e first observed b y a n y botanist
in B rita in .
T h is species is p e ren n ia l, blossoming in sp rin g , a n d b earing
f ru it in sum m e r, T h e stems form tu fts a n in c h o r two h ig h ,
b ra n c h e d , le a fy , c lo th ed w ith ru s ty down o r rad ic le s in their
lower p a r t. L eaves b r ig h t green, lin e a r, entire, keeled, single'
rib b ed , w ith a n awlsh ap ed ,p o in t, finely m a rk e d w ith square
re ticu la tio n s, as is g en e ra lly th e case w ith mosses th a t h av e a
sin g le frin g e , those w ith a d o u b le one h a v in g th em frequently
orbicular. \ \ lien d ry th e leaves are in cu rv e d an d twisted.
Fruitstalks numerous, te rm in a l, slender, taw n y o r yellow, an
in c h h ig h . C apsule g re en , smooth, a n d o f a slender elliptical
fo rm when y o u n g ; a fte rwa rds obovate, a b ru p t, stro n g ly fu rrow
ed , a n d brown, b e n t v e ry little tow a rd one s id e ; w ith o u t
a n y tum o r a t th e b a se . L id b ro a d a t th e b o ttom , slender and
c u rv e d u pw a rd , sh o rte r th a n th e c ap su le . O rifice a n d fringe
r e d .— T h e male flowers b e in g la te ra l, c au sed H e dw ig to refer
th is moss to h is Fissidens, b u t it o n ly p ro v e s th a t ch a ra c te r of
no a v a il, b e in g so tru ly a Dicranum in h a b it a n d affinity.