ORTHOTRÏCHUM striatum.
Common Bristle-Moss.
CRYPTOGAM I A Musci.
G en. Char. Caps, oblong, terminal. Outer f r in g e
of 16 teeth: inner of 8 or 16 bristles; or none.
V e i l angular, mostly clothed with erect hairs.
Spec. Char. Stem branched. Leaves lanceolate,
keeled, revolute, spreading. Veil entire. Inner
fringe of sixteen teeth.
Syn. Orthotrichum striatum. Hedw. Sp. Muse. 163.
Crypt, v. 2. 99. t. 36. Sm. FI. B r i l . 1262. Swartz.
Muse. Suec.. 42. D ic k s . Crypt, fa s c . 4. 5. T u rn .
Muse. H ib . 95. W in ch , v. 1 . 106.
Bryum striatum. L in n . Sp. P i . 1579, «., W ith . 810.
A b b o t . 236. R elh. 425.
Polytrichum striatum. H u ds. 471, «. H u ll. 248.
P. capsuhs subrotundis, pediculis brevissimis insidenti-
bus, calyptra striata, arboreum ramosum majus.
R a i l Syn. 91.
P. Bryi ruralis facie, capsulis sessilibus, majus. D i l l .
M u s e. 450. t. 55. f . 8.
Weissia striata. Sibth. 287.
O n e of the few species of this very natural genus that is
complete in its technical generic characters. It is not rare on
the trunks of old trees, though perhaps more so than some of
the more anomalous species already published in this work.
The stems are perennial, tufted, branched, leafy, an inch or
two high, level-topped. Leaves spreading loosely, lanceolate,
acute, pointless, entire, revolute, keeled, veinless, dark green;
the upper ones palest, more expanded, and sometimes jagged
at their extremities. Capsules on lateral shoots, extending a
little beyond the leaves, furrowed in their upper part when
ripe, scarcely twisted. Veil clothed with erect yellow hairs.
Lid short, with a blunt cylindrical point. Outer fringe of 16
equal, flat, brownish teeth, occasionally reflexed; inner of
16 white, inflexed, jointed and jagged scales rather than bristles.
Anthers in axillary clusters, on a separate plant.