HYPNUM sericeum.
Silky Featlier-moss.
CRYPTOGAMIA Mwsci.
G en. Ch a r . Caps, ovate-oblong, from a lateral scaly
sheath. Outer fringe o f 16 teeth, dilated at the
base: inner a variously-toothed membrane. Veil
smooth.
Spec. Char. Stem creeping. Branches adscending,
crowded. Leaves ovate, pointed, erect, with three
nerves. Lid conical.
Syn. Hypnum sericeum. Linn. Sp. PI. 1595. Sm.
Fl. Brit. 1282. ' Huds. 505. With. 864. Hull.
274. Relh. 430. Abbot. 251. Curt. Lond.fasc. 2.
t. 69.
H. vulgare sericeum recurvum, capsulis erectis cuspi-
datis. Dill. Muse. 323. t. 4ic2 .f. 59.
H. repens trichoides terrestre luteo-virens vulgare ma-
jus, capitulis erectis. Rail Syn. 84.
Leskea sericea. Hedw. Sp. Muse. 228. Crypt, v. 4.
48. t. 17*
Neckera sericea. Sibth. 305.
V e r y common on old walls, roofs, banks, and the trunks of
trees, where it bears abundance of fruit in the winter and
early spring] being readily known by its yellowish shining
silky aspect.
The perennial stems spread straight, and closely crowded,
over tiles or stones, attached by fibrous roots, and throwing
up innumerable short crowded round leafy branches. Leaves
imbricated every way, erect, ovate, pointed, entire, marked
with 3 ribs, of which the lateral ones reach but half way from
the base. Sheath oblong, pointed. Stalk deep red. Capsule
upright, ovate, brown, smooth, contracted at the mouth, rarely
a little incurved. Lid conical, blunt, generally curved.