j& /■ [ 1 2 7 5 ]
CRYPTOGAMIA Musei.
G e n . .C h a r . Caps, ovate-oblong, from a lateral scaly
sheath. Outer fringe of 16 teeth, dilated at the
b a s e : inner a variously-toothed membrane. Vn l
smooth.
S p e c . C h a r . Stem branched. Leaves ovate, acute,
minutely serrated, single-ribbed, imbricated, obscurely
two-ranked. Lid awl-shaped.
Syn. H y p n u m ruscifolium. Dicks. Crypt, fasc. 3. 10.
Sm. FI. Brit. 1292. With. 848. Hull. 269.
Relh. 433. Sibth. 297. Abbot. 246.
H. rutabulum a. Huds. 497.
H. riparioides. Hediv. Sp. Muse. 242. Crypt, v. 4.
10. t. 4.
H. foliis rusciformibus, capsulis subrotundis. Dill.
Muse. 298. t. 38. ƒ . 31 ; and t. 40. ƒ . 44, A.
N O T rare on stones, posts and mill-wheels in rivers, bearing
fruit from March to September. Stems perennial, branched,
floating, black, varying in length according to the strength of
the current; hence we presume Mr. Dickson’s H. prolixum
(Dill. t. 38. ƒ. 32 and t. 85.f . 20), to be a lengthened variety,
and Dr. Abbot’s rotund folium, which is certainly not Scopoli’s,
to be a shorter one than usual. The leaves are of a very dark
green, at least the older ones, loosely imbricated, scarcely two-
ranked, though the affinity of this species to H. riparium
(which we hope to figure hereafter) causes it to be ranged
among such as have leaves so disposed. The form of the leaves is
ovate, broad, acute, with one nerve, which scarcely attains the
summit. Fruit-stalks few, bright purple, about an inch high.
Capsule ovate, obtuse, short, a little drooping. Lid with a
convex base, and long awl-shaped curved point.
H. riparium has long-pointed entire leaves, and its capsules
a short conical lid.