B R Y U M capillare.
Greater Matted Thread-tnoss.
CRYPTOGAMIA Musci,
Gen. Char. Outer fringe of 16 teeth, broad at the
base ; inner a toothed membrane. Flowers terminal.
Capsule ovate-oblong, smooth. Veil smooth.
Spec. Char. Stem branched from the base, tufted.
Leaves obovate, hair-pointed, twisted when dry.
Capsule club shaped, pendulous.
Syn. Bryum capillare. Linn. Sp. PI. 1586; Sm. Fl.
Brit. 1357. Hedw. Sp. Muse. 182. . Huds. 488.'
Hull. 255. Lightf 737. Sibtk. 290. Turn
Muse. Hib. 120.
B. foliis latiusculis congestis, capsulis longis nutanti-
bus. Dili. Muse. 398. t. 50. f . 67.
B. capitulis reflexis, foliolis latiusculis congestis. Rail
Syn. 100.
Mnium capilfare. Linn. Fl. Suec. 385. With. 805.
Relh. 420. Abbot. 234.
F o u n d is woods and on heathy banks, not, like- B. ccespi-
titium, t. 1904, on walls or roofs, nor about much-frequented
places in general. It bears fruit about the same time as that
species, or rather later, and agrees with it in general appearance,
differing chiefly in being always much larger. The
branches when full-grown are near an inch long. Leaves
obovate, concave, keeled, thickened at the edge, and sometimes
slightly serrated at the very summit, each tipped
with a longhair. When dry they are twisted together, and
form a sort of spiral star at the top of each branch. Fruit-
stalks an inch and half long, firm, deep crimson. Capsule
pendulous, twice as large as B.' ccespilitium, and more elongated,
being when old so taper at the base as to become
club-shaped rather than obovate. Lid of a shining red brown,
hemispherical with a little point. Outer fringe orange-coloured,
with long-pointed teeth.