TORTULA tortuosa.
Frizzled Mountain Screw-moss.
CRYPTOGAMIA Musd.
G en. Char. Fringe s i m p l e , o f n u m e r o u s c a p i l l a r y
t e e t h , s p i r a l l y a n d r e p e a t e d l y t w i s t e d t o g e t h e r .
Spec. Char. S t e m b r a n c h e d , e v e n - t o p p e d . L e a v e s
l i n e a r i n c l i n i n g t o l a n c e o l a t e , k e e l e d ; t w i s t e d a n d
u n d u l a t e d w h e n d r y . C a p s u l e c y l i n d r i c a l , s l i g h t l y
o v a t e . F r i n g e l a x .
Syn, T o r t u l a t o r t u o s a . Hedw. Sp. Muse. 1 2 4 . Sm. FI.
B r it. 1 2 5 8 . Turn. Muse. Hib. 5 2 .
B r y u m t o r t u o s u m . Linn. Sp. PI. 1 5 8 3 . Huds. 4 8 6 .
W ith . 8 3 0 . Hull. 2 5 5 . L igh tf. 7 2 7 . Relh. 4 2 3 .
Dicks. D r . PI. 4 8 .
B . c i r r a t u m , s e t i s e t c a p s u l i s l o n g i o r i b u s . D ill. Muse.
3 7 7 , t. 4-8. f . 4 0 .
B . t r i c h o i d e s l o n g i f o l i u m , c r a s s i u s c u l i s c a u l i c u l i s , c a -
p i t u l i s e r e c t i s , a d u n c i s , a c u t i s . D ill in R a ii Syn. 9 8 .
F o u n d copiously on the mountains of Wales, Scotland
and the north of England. On mossy limestone rocks behind
Matlock bath it abounds, but does not always bear capsules.
Its fructifying season is the summer.
The stems are branched, an inch or two, often more, in height,
forming dense even-topped tufts, many inches broad. Leaves
closely imbricated, permanent, of a beautiful bright green;
rusty when old : their form is lanceolate, almost linear, with
a rib, but no point; the margin for the most part entire, bdt
here and there obtusely toothed, and every where so crisped
and undulated, especially when dry, (in which state the whole
leaf is incurved and curled), that some have thought it serrated.
Fruitstalks an inch and half long, of a shining crimson,
pale yellow at the summit. Capsule a little inclining,
slender and cylindrical, but finally erect and more ovate,
smooth, light reddish brown, with a crimson edge. Lid
thin, tapering, a little curved, half as long as the capsule,
Fringe long, crimson, rolled up under the lid as in others of
the genus, but afterwards so lax as to approach the nature of
a Trichostomum, The veil is long and slender.