7 0 5 [ 1 9 0 4 ]
BRYUM caespititium.
Lesser Matted Thread-moss.
CRYPT0GAM1A Musa.
G en. C h a r . Outer fringe of 16 teeth, broad at the
base : inner a toothed membrane. Flowers terminal.
Capsule ovate-oblong, smooth. Veil smooth.
Spec. C h a r . Stem branched from the base, tufted.
Leaves ovato-lanceolate, flat, hair-pointed, entire.
Capsule obovate, pendulous.
Syn. Bryum caespititium. Sm. FI. Brit. 1354. Linn.
Sp. PI. 1586. Hedw. Sp. Muse. 180. Huds. 488.
Hull. 256. Sibth. 290. Lightf. 736. Curt. Land,
fasc. 3. t. 67. ƒ 1. Turn. Muse. Hib. 120.
B. pendulum ovatum caespiticium et pilosum, seta
bicolori. Dill. Muse. 396. t. 5 0 .f . 66, A—E.
B. trichoides capitulis reflexis, pediculis ima medietate
rubris, summa luteo-virentibus. Rail Syn. 100.
Mnium caespititium. Relh. 421. With. 807. Abbot.
235.
CoMMON on walls and roofs, sandy banks and gravelly
grassy places, bearing fruit from February to April.
The stems are perennial, and form dense cushion-like tufts,
their branches dividing from the very base, each about 3 or 4
lines long, simple, spreading, leafy, obtuse and terminated
by a starry head of leaves larger than the rest. Leaves all
bright green, ovato-lanceolate, flattish, entire, with a single
rib which ends in a hair-like point. Fruit-stalks solitary from
the base of the branches, capillary, upright, an inch or more
in height, their lower part crimson, the upper green. Capsule
pendulous, ovate when young j then'obovate, with a convex,
pointed lid j at length dilated at the mouth. Fringe of pale
yellow, very acute teeth. Veil taper, sharp-pointed.
It will be seen by referring to t. 1601 how different Bryum
licolor is from this species.