m [ 997 3
BARTRAMIA Halleriana.
Lateral Bartramia.
CRYPTOGAMIA Mußt.
Gen. Char. Capfule fp h e ric a l, a t le n g th fu rrow e d .
Outer fringe o f 16 ta p e r in g te e th ; inner a p la ite d
m em b r a n e .
Spec . Char. F ru it- f la lk s la te r a l, c u rv e d , fh o r te r th a n
th e leaves. L e a v e s lin e a r-aw lflia p e d , w ith o u t la te
ra l nerves..
Syn. B a rtram ia H a lle r ia n a . Hedw. Crypt, v. 2. 111,
t. 40. Swartz. Aßt. Holm. ann. 1795. 2,68.
B rv um la te ra le . Hudf. 483. Ligbtf. 727. With. 823,
Hull. 254. Dickf. H. Sicc.fafc. 5. 20.
F O U N D in th e m o ift fto n y p a rts o f m o u n ta in o u s woods in
Sco tlan d , W a le s , a n d th e n o rth o f E n g la n d , b u t n o t comm o n ly .
M r . Griffith fen t o u r fpecimens from W a le s in Ju ly 1800, a t
w h ic h feafon th e feeds are for th e m oft p a rt ripe.
T h is mofs forms b road p a tch e s o f denfe, u p rig h t, b ran ch ed
ftems, n e a r two in c h e s h ig h , and entirely clothed from top to
b o ttom w ith leaves, w h ic h are a little m o re inclined to one
fide th a n th e o th e r. T h e lower p a rt o f th e ftems is alfo clothed
w ith denfe b row n woolly radicles. T h e leaves fuddenly tap e r
from a b ro ad bafe in to a line a r-awlfhaped flender figure, fe r-
ra ted a t th e edge, and fharply keeled, h av in g one ftro n g nerve
o n ly . T h e flowers, w h e th e r te rm in a l or n o t occafionally, a p p
e a r to b e tru ly late ra l an d a x illa ry ; for federal capfules are
found one above a n o th e r o n a n u n b ra n c h e d ftem, e ach o n a
curved ftalk, p roc eeding from th e a x illa o f a leaf, a n d fhorter
th a n t'he le a f itfelf. T h e u n rip e capfule is globofe. Ve il decid
u o u s. L id fh o rt an d b ro ad . T h e capfule foon b ecomes
le n g th e n ed , or ra th e r late ra lly c o n tr a f te d ,'in to a cylindrical
fo rm , m a rk ed w ith 16 ftrong fu rrows, and its m a rg in is fringed
w ith th e fame n um b e r o f awlfhaped flattifh te e th , fu rro u n d in g
an in te rn a l plaited m em b ran o u s covering, a little to rn a t its
o p en in g .
W e would n o t d ifien t from th e above g re at a u th o ritie s as to
th e fpecific n am e , b u t the o rig in a l one , lateralis, feems m u ch
th e m oft expreffive.