HYPNUM purum.
Neat Meadow Feather-moss.
CRYPTOGAMIA Musci.
Gen. Char. 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 pinnated. Leaves elliptical, inflated»
obtuse with a small point, single-ribbed at the base-
Lid conical, curved.
Syn. Hypnum purum. Linn. Sp. PI. 1594. Sm. FI.
Brit. 1313. Hedw. Sp. Muse. 253. t. 66. ƒ 3—6.
Huds. 504. With. 863. Hull. 273. Relh. 436.
Sibth. 300. Abbot. 250. Curt. Lond. fa s c . 3.
t. 65. Turn. Muse. Hib. 175.
H . cupressiforme vulgare, foliis obtusis. Dill. Muse.
309. t. 40. f . 45.
H. terrestre erectum, ramulis teretibus, foliis inter rotunda
et acuta medio modo se habentibus. Raii
Syn. 81.
P l e n t i f u l in m o is t a n d shady p a stu re s, also a b o u t hedge
b a n k s , b u t n o t regula rly p ro d u c in g capsules. T h e ir m o st g e n
e ral se a so n , a c co rd in g to M r . C u rtis , is N o v em b e r; we h a v e
also fo u n d th em in th e sp rin g .
T h is is tru ly a b e au tifu l m o ss, rem a rk ab le fo r th e n e a t
sh in in g inflated ap p ea ran c e o f its leaves. T h e stem s fo rm
larg e lig h t ela stic tu fts , g row in g seldom q u ite u p rig h t, o fte n
h o riz o n ta lly , an d are sub d iv id ed , besides b e in g b ra n ch e d in a
p in n a te m a n n e r. T h e b ra n ch e s are sh o rt, sim p le , ro u n d ,
a cu te re curved. B o th th e stem and b ran ch e s are c lo th ed
w ith closely im b ric a ted (th o u g h inflated) b road e llip tic al
o b tu se e n tire leaves, e ach tip p ed w ith a little flat p o in t, a n d
m a rk e d a t th e ba se b y o n e sh o rt ne rv e . T h e ir co lo u r is a lig h t
s h in in g g re en , tu rn in g w h itis h w ith age. S h e a th s c y lin d ric a l,
o f m an y pale n a rrow leaves. Fru itstalk s. so lita ry , red , 2 in ch e s
lono-, e re c t. C ap su le e llip tic a l, d ro o p in g , sm o o th , m o re o r
Iess° c u rv ed , a little tum id a t th e b a se . L id c o n ic a l, w ith a
curved p o in t.