H Y P N UM alopecurum.
Fox-tail Feather-mofs.
CRYPTOGAMIA Mufci,
G en. Char. Fringe d o u b le : outer o f 16 tapering
teeth : inner a toothed membrane. Flowers lateral.
Fruit-ßalk from a lcaly fheath.
S pec. Char. Root creeping. Stems ereCt; naked
below ; branched in a panicled form above. Cap-
fules ovate, drooping, with a taper beak. Leaves
ferrated.
Syn. Hypnum alopecurum. Linn. Sp. PI. 1594.
Hedw. Sp. Mufc. 2,6 7 . Hudf. 503. W ith . 839.
Hull. 2 7 2 . Relh. 43 6 . Sibth. 299. Abbot. 249.
Dickf. H . Sicc.fafc. 1 3 . 22. Ehrh. Crypt. 3 7 .
H . dendroides obfcurius, fetis et capfulis brevioribus,
fubnutantibus. Dill. Mujc. 315. t. 41. ƒ. 49.
H . paluftre eredtum arbufculam referens, ramulis
fubrotundis. Rail Syn. 81.
^ ^ E IT H E R has this Hypnum been delineated by the celebrated
Hedwig. It is to be reckoned among our rarer fpecies,
at lead: in fructification. We received it in that ftate from
Mr. W. Borrer of SufTex. Its general places of growth are
moift and fhady, as boggy woods, wet calcareous rocks or
caverns, and the margins of cafcades. The capfules are ripened
in the fpring.
The horizontal branched roots or fcions produce feveral ered
tree-like Items; naked, and when old leaflefs, below ; branched
and fubdivided above, in the form of a panicle or feather, all
the branches inclining to one fide, and their fummits moftly
tapering and elongated. Leaves dark green, yellow when ex-
pofed, imbricated every way, ovate, broad, concave, ferrated,
efpecially towards the point, and furnifhed with an acute
central rib. Capfules on fhort folitary inclining ftalks, ovate,
fmooth, nodding. Lid taper and almoft as long as the capfuls.