Mosses and Lichens 



The spore-cases are exserted on straight pedicels; they are 

 pear-shaped, narrowed at the base into a long neck, 8-striate 

 and twisted to the left when dry. 



The peristome is single or double, the outer of the sixteen 

 white teeth usually united in pairs; the inner of 8 to 16 narrow 

 processes alternate with the teeth or wanting. 



There are fifty-seven species in all, sixteen in North America. 

 The Curly-leaved Ulota, Ulota crispa, Brid. See Plate XV. 

 Habit and habitat. In small dense round cushions, yellow- 

 green on the surface and rust-colour within. Common in 

 mountain woods on trunks and branches of trees, especially 

 beeches, firs and birches. 



Name. The specific name from the Latin crispus, curled, 

 refers to the special curling of the dry leaves. 

 Plant (gametophyte) . Small, erect. 



Leaves. Linear, lance-shaped from an enlarged oval concave 



base; apex narrow or 

 hair-like, curled when 

 dry; cells at base long 

 and narrow, worm- 

 like, thick-walled, on 

 the margin enlarged 

 and 4-sided. 



Habit of flowering. 

 Male and female flow- 

 ers on same plant (mo- 

 noicous) ; male flower- 

 clusters bud-like. 



Veil (calyptra). 

 Yellow, bell-shaped, 

 split at the base, 

 plaited lengthwise and covered with soft hairs. 



Spore-case. Pale-green or light-brown, thin-walled, pear- 

 shaped, narrowed end extending almost to the base of the 

 pedicel, constricted under the mouth and deeply grooved when 

 dry and empty. 



Pedicel (seta). Short and erect. 

 Lid (operculum) . With a comparatively short beak. 

 Teeth (peristome). The outer of eight pairs, at first spreading, 

 then recurved, the inner eight, rarely sixteen. 



1 86 



U. crispa. 

 Leaves. 



U. crispa. Sporophyte 

 spore-case with a long 

 neck and tooth, pedicel 

 short with vaginule. 



