HYPNUM uncinatum.
Procumbent Hooked Feather-moss.
CR YPTOGAMIA Musci.
Gen. Char. Caps, ovate-oblong, from a lateral scaly
sheath. Outer fringe of 16 teeth, dilated at the base:
inner a variously-toothed membrane. Veil smooth.
Spec. Char. Stem procumbent, pinnated. Leaves
tapering, sickle-shaped, single-ribbed, striated. Lid
conical. Capsule constricted.
Syn. Hypnum uncinatum. Hedw. Sp. Muse. 289.
Crypt, v. 4 . 65. t. 25. Sm. FI. Brit. 1328. Dicks.
Crypt, fasc. 4. 19. Turn. Muse. Hib. 190.
T h i s grows in watery stony places in the north, and appears
to be not unfrequent, particularly in Yorkshire. Mr. William
Brunton communicated it from Moss Dale Head, Wensley
Dale, in that county. It bears capsules in August and
September.
The stems are procumbent and pinnated, forming loose,
perennial, matted tufts. Leaves of a pale shining green,
often verging towards yellow, closely imbricated, but leaning
all to one side, and often so remarkably curved as each to
form a complete circle; they are lanceolate with a long point,
compressed, single-ribbed, striated and entire; the uppermost
are rolled together into a sort of hook. Fruitstalks red, above
an inch long. Sheath of many long slender pale leaves.
Capsule drooping, curved, smooth, cylindrical, mostly contracted
under the mouth, which is much dilated. Lid conical,
short, acute. We exhibit in the plate a morsel of the inner
fringe highly magnified, to show its curious structure, which
indeed is common to many of the genus. Hedwig represents
the intermediate teeth in pairs.