^ [ «8o 1
B R Y U M . rigidum.
Rigid Bryum.
c r t p t o g a m i a MujcU;
G en* Char. Capfule with a lid. Veil fmooth. Flower-
fia lk from a terminal tubercle.
Spec. Char. Stem fcarcely any. Capfules cylindrical,
eredt, bordered with twifted cilire. Veil
longer than the capfule. Leaves fpreading, lanceolate,
involute, rigid.
S y n . Bryum rigidum. Hudf. FI. An. 4 7 7 . With.
Bot.Arr. 10 5 . Smith's Four on the Continent,
vol. i. 1 9 1 .
B. acaulon, Ericte tenulfoliffi Gerardi folio. Dill.
Muß. 388. t. 4 9 . ƒ . 5 5 .
Barbula rigida. Hedwig. Muß. vol. i. 6 5 . t. 25.
D r . S m ith , w e b e lie v e , 'firft fo u n d th is m o fs, fince the
tim e o f D ille n iu s , in N o v em b e r 1780, o n a c lay b a n k on the
r ig h t- h a n d fide o f th e Y a rm o u th ro a d , tw o m ile s a n d an half
f rom N o rw ic h , w h e r e he, alfo g a th e r e d th e p r e f e n t fpecimen
in J a n u a ry la f t. M r . T . F . F o r f t e r h a s o b fe rv e d it in a
c h a lk -p it o n B a n fte a d d ow n s . ’
I t s firft a p p e a r a n c e is v e ry lik e th e c om m o n B ry um murale,
b u t th e le av e s o f th a t h a v e a f tro n g m id -r ib , w h ic h th is wants,
a n d a re p a le r a n d th in a t th e m a rg in , n o r a r e th e y ev e r involute.
B y d ry in g th e p a in ts o f th e le av e s a re c u rv e d inw a rd s . T h e (talks
a r e lo n g e r , a n d th e c ap fu le s la rg e r th a n in B . m u r a le . The
v e il v e ry lo n g , c o v e r in g th e w h o le y o u n g c a p fu le , b u t foon
f a llin g off. L id o f th e c a p fu le r e d a t th e b afe. T h e fringe of
th e o rific e c o n fifts o f n um e r o u s h a ir s o r te e th , w h ic h Heclwig
fo u n d to b e 32 in n um b e r . T h e y a r e tw if te d in to a cylinder.
H o w m u c h fo e v e r w e m a y a dm ir e th e a c c u ra c y o f obfervation,
a n d p h y fio lo g ic a l a c u te n e f s o f th e c e le b r a te d a u th o r la ft mentio
n e d , w e th in k th e c h a r a c te r s o f h is g e n e r a r a th e r to o minute
a n d a rtific ia l. A t l e a d w e b e g le av e to r e ta in fo r th e prefent
th o f e o f L in n a e u s, th o u g h v e ry im p e rfeC t, till r e p e a te d obfer-
v a tio n s e n a b le u s to ju d g e m o r e c o rreC tly u p o n fo abftrufe »
fu b jeC t.