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T O R 'T U L A fubulata,
Awl-Jhajied Tortula.
CRYPTOGAMIA Mufc},'
G en. Char. F r in ge Ample, o f numerous capillary
teeth, fpirally and repeatedly twifted together.
Spec. Char. Stem nearly Ample, fhort. Leaves
ovato-lanceolate, bearded, entire. Capfule cylindrical.
Lid awlfhaped.
Syn. Tortula fubulata. Hedw, S p .M u f c . 1 2 2 . /. 2 7 .
Sw a r t z . Mu fc . Suec. 3 9 . Sibth. 2 8 4 .
Bryum fubulatum. L in n .S p . F I . 1 5 8 1 . Hudf. 4 7 6 .
W i th . 8 3 2 . H u ll. 2 6 3 . Relh. 4 2 3 . A bbot. 2 4 2 .
Curt. Lond. fa f c . 3 . t. 66. D ick f. H . Sice 1 f i f e .
1 4 - 1 9 -
B . capfulis longis fubulatis. D i l l . Mu fc . 3 5 0 . t. 4 5 ,
ƒ . 10 .
B. eredtis longis- et acutis falcatis capitulis, calyptra
fubfufca, foliis ferpylli pellucidis. R a n Syn. 9 2 .
T H O U G H common here in damp (hady places, Dr. Swartz
informs me thi§ mofs is very rare in Sweden, and indeed I have
obferved it to be, as Lightfoot fays, rather unfrequent'in
Scotland. Its fruit ripens in March and April, and the roots
feem to be annual.
The plants form denfe tufts, eafily difcoverable by the broad
rofaceous entire leaves, of a bright green colour, of which the
lowermoft are fmalleft, the reft moft ovate, all furniftied with a
central rib, and tipped with a Ihort beard or briftly point.
Fruit-ftalk an inch high, tawny red, bearing a long, cylindrical,
(lender, upright capfule, which becomes (lightly curved,
and of a brown colour, in ripening. The veil ana lid are long
and tapering. The mouth is fringed with a limple row of
numerous, white, capillary teeth, clofely and fpirally twifted
together, apparently united or conglutinated for almoft their
whole length, but divaricated at the fummit. This peculiar
fringe charafterizes the genus, to' which belongs our Bryum
rtgidum, v . 3 . t. 180, for we beg leave to unite the Barbula
and Tortula of Hedwig into one genus.