b & [ 1303 ]
HYPNUM fluviatile.
Creeping River Feather-moss.
CRYPTOGAMIA 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 creeping. Branches elongated,
flaccid. Leaves ovate, concave, single - ribbed,
curved. Lid convex.
Syn. Hypnum fluviatile. Swartz. Muse. Suec. 63. Srn.
FI. Brit. 1330. Hedw. Sp. Muse. 277. t. 7 1 . / . 4.
H. luridum. Swartz. Muse. Suec. 58.
F o r this rare moss, a new acquisition to the British Flora,
vve are obliged to Mr. Turner, who is about to describe it in
his work on Irish Mosses. It grows upon stones in rivers,
and was discovered in Ireland by Dr. Scott and Mr. R. Browne.
Specimens from Dr. Swartz himself have determined it to
be his H. fluviatile as well as his luridum; but the luridum of
Hedwig is the palustre of Linnseus, an erect species, whose
leaves have no midrib.
The H. fluviatile is perennial, and, we presume, bears its
fruit in summer. The stems are quite prostrate, creeping and
entangled, thread-shaped, much branched, at length naked
and wiry. Branches mostly simple, ascending, various in
length, flaccid, leafy. Leaves imbricated, all more or less
curved towards one side, small, rather shining, ovate, concave,
entire, acute, smooth, having a rib continued to their
point: when young they are of a delicate pale green, blackish
when old. The leaves of the sheath have no rib. The fruit-
stalks are an inch high, pale red. Capsule cylindrical j oval
when ripe, short, drooping, and a little curved. Lid convex,
inclining to conical, with a short blunt point.