HYPNUM molluscum.
Plumy Crested Feather-moss.
CRYPTOGAMIA Musci.
G en. Char. Caps, o v a te -o b lo n g , from a la te ra l scaly
sh e a th . Outer fringe o f 16 te e th , d ila te d a t th e b a s e :
inner a v a rio u sly -to o th ed m em b ra n e . Veil sm o o th .
Spec. Char. S tem p ro c um b e n t, p e c tin a ted . L e av es
o v ate -aw lsh ap ed , c u rv e d , w ith o u t ribs. C a p su le o v a te ,
d ro o p in g . L id co n ica l.
Syn. H y p n um m o llu sc um . Hedw. Sp. Muse. 2 8 9 .
Crypt, v. 4 . 5 6 . t. 2 2 . Sm. FI. Brit. 1 3 3 5 . Turn.
Muse. Hibern. 1 9 8 .
H . Crista-ca strensis. Huds. 4 9 8 . With. 8 5 4 . Hull. 2 7 1 .
Relh. 4 3 4 . Sibth. 2 9 5 . Abbot. 2 4 7 . Dicks. H.
Sicc.fasc. 11. 20.
H . filic in um , c ristam c a stren s em rep rsesen tan s. Dill.
Muse. 2 8 4 . t. 3 6 . / . 2 0 , A .
M u sc u s filicifolius lu te u s , folio crasso e t u n d u la to .
Raii Syn. 8 6 , su b n. 3 2 .
A n e leg an t little spe c ie s, p len tifu l en o u g h o n d ry ch a lk y o r
lim e sto n e h ills , b u t th e capsule s are ra th e r u n c om m o n . W e
h ave how ev e r g a th e red th em a t M a tlo c k . T h e y rip en in M a y
a n d J u n e .
T h e stems' are p e ren n ia l, repea tedly sub d iv id ed , ly in g h o r iz
o n ta lly over e ach o th e r in loose elastic tu fts . B ran ch e s
b e a u tifu lly p e c tin a te d , th e ir ex trem itie s c u rle d , lik e o strich
p lum e s in m in ia tu re . Leaves pale y e llowish g re en , w ith scarcely
a n y p o lish , closely im b ric a te d , curved to o n e side, awlshaped
w ith a b ro ad concave b a se , q u ite d e stitu te o f p la its o r ne rv e s,
th e m a rg in m in u te ly to o th e d . F ru itsta lk s so lita ry , a n in ch
h ig h , red a n d sh in in g . S h e a th s y e llow , lax , w ith b ristle -
p om te d scales. C ap su le d ro o p in g , o v a te , sh o rt, sw e llin g , pale
red b row n . F rin g e y e llow . L id c o n ic a l, ve ry a cu te .
T h e tru e H . Crista-castrensis o f L inna eus is a la rg e r an d
even m o re b e au tifu l spe c ie s, n o t y e t fo u n d in B rita in . D il-
len iu s c o n fo u n d ed th em to g e th e r.