Mosses and Lichens 



beaked spore-cases, tilted on one side, commonly point one way, 

 and the leaves also are all turned to one side pointing in the 

 same direction as the beaks. Children fancy they resemble duck 

 heads and see in them flocks travelling toward the water. Some 

 call them soldiers and sing "The troops of Dicranum are tilting 

 their lances." 



Name. The specific name scoparium, the Latin for " broom," 

 is suggested by the resemblance of the plants to small counter- 

 brooms. 



D. scoparium. Leaves. 



D. scoparium. Sections of vein toward 

 apex of leaf. 



Plant (gametoplyte) . Large ; stems 2 to 5 inches high in 

 loose yellow, rarely green, tufts, covered with rootlets to the 

 newest growth, forking once or twice. 



Leaves. Glossy, turned to one side, or scythe-shaped, rarely 

 erect, crowded at the tops of the stems ; apex awl-shaped ; base 

 lance-shaped ; vein compressed, with four-toothed ridges on the 

 back toward the apex ; margin sharply serrate and wavy toward 

 the apex ; cells perforated, elongated in the upper part, narrow 

 and worm-like toward the base, large, four-sided and orange- 

 coloured at the angles. 



Leaves at the base of tie pedicel (periclcetial leaves'}. Sheathing 

 at the base. 



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