Y&
FONTINALI S antipyretica.
Greater Water-mofs.
o
C R Y P T O G A M I A Mnfci.
G en. C har. Capfule w ith a lid a n d v eil, feffile, e n -
c lo fe d in a n im b r ic a te d c a ly x .
Spec . Char. L e a v e s p o in te d , fo ld e d fo as to fo rm
a k e e l, d ifp o fe d in th r e e r a n k s . F ru c tif ic a tio n
la te r a l.
Syn. F o n tin a lis a n tip y r e tic a . Linn. Sp. PI. 1 5 7 1"
Hudf. FI. An. 4 6 7 . With. Bot. Arr. v. 3 . 7 5 *
Relh. Cant. 3 9 5 . Sihth. Ox. 29 3.
F . m a jo r , foliis tr ia n g u la r ib u s c om p lic a tis , c a p itu lis
in fo lio rum alis feffilib u s. Ran Syn. 7 9 .
F . tr ia n g u la r is m a jo r c om p lic a ta , e fo lio rum alis
c a p fu life ra . Dill. Mufc. 1254. t. 3 3 . ƒ . 1 .
N o t uncommon in flow deep waters, growing upon rocks,
polls, &c. floating with the ftream confiderably below the
furface, and very rarely producing any fructification.
The root is fmall, but ftrong, and perennial. Stem (lender,
tough and wiry, much branched, from 3 or 4 inches to a foot
long, clothed with numerous leaves, which are imbricated
generally in three rows, of an ovate (harp-pointed form, but
comprefied fo as to become acutely carinated, entire in the margin,
their colour a deep tranfparent green. Capfules lateral,
folitary, on very (hort fcaly flower-llalks, elliptical, entirely
inverted with imbricated fcales, and their orifice ciliated with
about 16 red taper teeth. The lid is conical, and the veil of
the fame form, but rather longer.
Linnteus informs us, in his Flora Suecica, that the Swedes
« ftulf in this mofs between their chimneys and wooden walls,
to guard the latter from fire a paflage which Englilh writers
have greatly mifapprehended; for, without fuppofing any thing
very incombuftible in its nature, it may anfwer the purpofe
above defcribed merely by preventing the paflage of air.
Ill
3SQ