5 fy [ 1 9 5 3 ]
IIYPNUM squarrosum.
Drooping-leaied Feather-moss.
' CRYPTOGAMIA Musci.
G en. 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 branched, somewhat pinnated.
Leaves ovate, pointed, keeled, recurved, without
ribs. Lid conical.
Syn. Hypnum squarrosum. Linn. Sp. PL 1593. Sm.
Ft. B rit. 1323. Hediv. Sp. Muse. 281. Huds.
.502. TVith. 857. Hull. 2? 1. Relh. 435. Sihlh.
299. Abbot. 249.
H. repens, triangularibus reflexis foliis, majus. Dill.
Muse. 303. t. 39. ƒ 38. Rail Syn. 82.
/3.H. repens, triangularibus reflexis foliis, minus. Dill.
Muse. 304. t. 39. f . 39. Rail Syn. 82.
H. squarrosum. Swartz. Muse., Suec. 59. Ehrh.
Crypt. 36. t
C o m m o n in shady d am p w o o d s, and u n d e r h e d g e s , p ro d
u c in g its fru it o c c a sio n a lly in a u tum n as well as sp rin g , b u t
b y n o m e an s freq u e n tly a t e ith e r se a so n . O u r sp e c im en s with
rip e cap su le s were fo u n d in th e N ew F o re st, la s t M a r c h , by
C . L y e ll, E s q .
T h e p e ren n ial stem s are b ra n ch e d in a p in n a te m a n n e r, an d
a re lea fy, re d , rigid an d w iry , fo rm in g loose e lastic tu fts }
th e ir b ra n c h e s curved d ow nw a rd s, ta p e r-p o in te d . Leaves o f
a y e llow ish g re en , closely im b ric a ted g en e ra lly in 5 rows,
o v a te , c la sp in g th e s tem , e n tire , rib le ss, sm o o th , folded in to
a so rt o f k e e l ; th e ir p o in ts e lo n g a ted an d curved d ow nw a rd .
F ru its ta lk s a b o u t a n in ch and h a lf lo n g , re d , sm o o th . S h e a th s
c lo se , w ith ta p e r-p o in te d leaves, th e ir p o in ts sp re ad in g . C a p su
le d ro o p in g , o v a te , sm o o th , sh o rt a n d tu rg id . L id co n ic a l,
s h o rt, w ith a m in u te p o in t.
T h e v a rie ty (3 ha s th e a p p e a ran c e o f a differen t sp e c ie s,
b e in g m u c h m o re pale an d sle n d e r in h a b it, w ith sh o rte r m o re
d is ta n t b ra n c h e s , an d a som ew h a t lo n g e r lid , b u t we find n o
e ssen tia l m a rk o f d is c rim in a tio n .