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HYPNUM stellatum.
Yellow Starry Feather-moss.
CRYPTOGAMIA Musa.
Gen. Char. Caps, ovate-oblong, from a lateral scaly
sheath. Outer fringe of 16 teeth, dilated at the
b a s e : inner a variously-toothed membrane. Veil
smooth.
Spec. Char. Stem erect, branched. Leaves ovate,
pointed, entire, without nerves, very much spreading.
Lid conical.
Syn. Hypnum stellatum. Schreb. Lips. 92. Sm. FI.
Brit. 1322. Hedw. Sp. Muse. 280. Dicks. Crypt,
fasc. 1. .5. t. 1. f . 7. H. Sicc. fasc. 6. 23. With.
846. Hull. 268. Relh. 437. Sibth. 301. Abbot.
246.
H. coma lutescente, extremitatibus stellatis. Dill.
Muse. 302. t. 39. f . 35.
N o t uncommon in turfy bogs, but the fructification is not
often to be found. The season for it is about March or April.
The stems grow erect, either in tufts or intermixed with
other mosses, and are more or less branched, the branches
pointing upwards, covered with bright yellowish green, or
even golden-coloured, leaves, which spread very much, often
giving a starry appearance to the summit of each branch $ they
are broad at the base, tapering to a long point, nearly flat,
entire, smooth, and without any rib or nerve : the lowermost
become brown or black. Fruitstalks about two inches high,
capillary, waved, crimson. Sheath of several lanceolate striated
close scales. Capsule drooping, curved, cylindrical,
somewhat ovate. Lid conical, short, acute.
Dillenius, who never saw the fructification of this Hypnum,
could not with certainty distinguish it from the cuspidatum.
Mr. Dickson was the first in England who clearly determined
it as a species.