HYPNUM riparium.
Short-beahed Water Featlier-moss.
CRYPTOGAM1A Musci.
G en. C har. Caps, ovate-oblong, from a lateral scaly
sheath. Outer fringe of 16 teeth, dilated at the base:
inner a variously-toothed membrane. Veil smooth.
Spec. Char. Stem spreading, branched. Leaves ovate,
with a taper point, entire, single-ribbed, loosely
spreading in two ranks. Capsule drooping. Lid
conical.
Syn. Hypnum riparium. Linn. Sp. PI. 1595. Sm.
FI. Bril. 1292. Hedw. Sp. Muse. 241. Crypt*
v. 4. 7. t. 3. Huds. 505. With. 861. Hull. 273.
Relh. 436. Sibth. 301. Abbot. 250. Turn.
Muse. Hib. 152.
H. aquaticum, flagellis et teretibus et pennatis. Dill.
Muse. 308. t. 40. f . 44. B, C, D.
H. ramosum fluitans pennatum. Raii Syn. 81.
T h i s kind of Hypnum grows either floating in running
streams, or attached to rotten wood or stones, about the
shores of rivers, in a decumbent creeping manner, bearing
fruit at various seasons.
The stems are 2 or 3 inches long, much longer when floating,
irregularly branched, and leafy throughout. The leaves spread
loosely and are scarcely imbricated; on the younger branches
more especially they are disposed in two ranks, which is less
remarkable on the older stems; they are ovate and entire,
with a more or less elongated taper point, and a strong central
rib ; their colour is a yellowish or tawny green. Sheaths solitary,
pale, of many tapering plaited leaves. Fruit-stalks red,
from 1 to 2 inches in length. Capsule inclining, cylindrical,
somewhat ovate, slightly curved and gibbous, smooth. Lid
conical, short, pointed. Fringe of a rusty red.