Fork-Mosses 



Five hundred and seventy-eight species are known in F all, 

 seventy-four in North America. The genus is represented 

 throughout all the tropical and temperate regions of the world. 

 It is probably to this pretty moss that Mungo Park, the African 

 traveller, referred when he wrote the lines : 



" Sad, faint and weary, on the sand 

 Our traveller sat him down ; his hand 

 Cover'd his burning head. 

 Above, beneath, behind, around, 

 No resting for the eye he found ; 

 All nature seemed as dead. 

 One tiny tuft of moss alone, 

 Mantling with freshest green a stone, 

 Fix'd his delighted gaze ; 

 Through bursting tears of joy he smiled, 

 And while he raised the tendril wild, 

 His lips o'erflowed with praise. 

 Oh ! shall not He who keeps thee green, 

 Here in the waste, unknown, unseen, 

 Thy fellow-exile save ? 

 He who commands the dew to feed 

 Thy gentle flower, can surely lead 

 Me from a scorching grave . 

 Thy tender stalks, and fibres fine, 

 Here find a shelter from the storm ; 

 Perhaps no human eye but mine 

 Ere gazed upon thy lovely form. 

 He that form'd thee, little plant, 

 And bade thee flourish in this place, 

 Who sees and knows my every want, 

 Can still support me with His grace.' 



Leaf. 



Cross section of 

 leaf. 



Stem to show distichous 

 leaves. 



F. taxifolium. 

 159 



