[ 2419 ]
DICRANUM strumiferum.
Swelling Fork-moss.
9 1
CRYPTOGAMIA Musci.
Gen. Char. Caps, oblong. F r in g e o f 16 flat, cloven
teeth, a little inflexed.
Spec. Char. Stem branched. Leaves linear-awl-
shaped, twisted when dry. Capsule curved, fur-
rowed, gibbous at the base.
Svn. Dicranum strumiferum. E h r h . C ryp t. 74. Srrt.
F I. B r i t . 1228. S ch ra d . Sp icil. 59. Swartz.
M u s e . S u e c . 3 3 .
Fissidens strumifer. Hedw. S p . M u s e . 160. Crypt,
v. 2. 88. t. 32.
Bryum strumiferum. D ic k s . Cryp t, f a s c . 3. 8. With.
8 3 3 . H u ll. 264.
N a t i v e o f b o g g y p a stures in Sco tlan d , fo u n d by Mr.
Dick so n , a n d since b y o th e r botanists. I t is perennial, flowerin
g in a u tum n a n d w in ter, rip en in g f ru it in summer.
Stems a n in c h o r two h ig h , e rec t, b ra n ch e d , tu fted , leafy,
covered w ith ru s ty down in th e ir lower p a r t. Leaves light-
g re en, n a rrow , k e eled, single-ribbed, entire, e x c e p t their long
ta p e r p o in t, w h ic h is finely serrated. W h e n d ry th ey become
c u rled , a n d th e ir edge slig h tly re volute . T h e base is rather
d ila ted . F ru itsta lk s late ra l, slender, a n in c h lo n g , orange-
co lo u red or red d ish . Capsule p a le re d d ish brown, shining,
obovate-oblong, fu rrowed , stro n g ly in cu rv e d , tap e rin g at the
base, w ith a swelling th ere in fro n t. V e il straw-coloured,
tip p e d w ith b la c k . L id aw lsh ap ed . F rin g e p a le r e d ; its
tee th transversely c o rru g a ted , w ith two p a le ta p e r points.
T h e c u rv a tu re o f th e c ap su le , a n d th e tum o u r a t its base,
d istin g u ish th is moss from D. polycarpum, t. 2269,