Hairy-cap Mosses 



Veil 



Spores. Rust colour, ripe in summer. 

 Distribution. North Carolina to Prince 

 Edward's Island, and west to Minnesota and 

 British Columbia. Also in Norway and Sweden. 

 The Awned Hairy-cap, Polytricbum pili- 

 ferum, Schreb. p. 



Habit and babitat. Found in sandy fields, on Spore - case - 

 rocks or on old roofs, conspicuous on account of the white 



hair-like tips and the bluish- 

 white bloom of the leaves; 

 the plants in clusters but not 

 matted together. The male 

 flower-clusters surrounded with 

 red bracts. The specific name 

 piliferum is compounded of two 

 Greek words, TrtXo?, hair, and 

 <f>ep(0, to bear, referring to the 

 numerous white hairs of the 

 leaves. 



Plants (gametopbyte). Short, 

 I to i finches high, simple from 

 subterranean creeping shoots, 

 wiry and naked below, densely 

 leafy above. 



Leaves. The upper long 

 lance-shaped, the lower oval, 

 appressed to the stem when dry, 

 spreading when moist ; apex 

 smooth on the back, prolonged 

 }..cale-UU leaves into a rough, hair-like awn; 



margin entire, inflexed upon the 

 upper surface of the leaf-blade; 

 vein red, becoming suddenly 

 transparent at the apex; lamella 

 about 30, 4 to 7 cells deep, the 

 upper cell pointed in section. 



Leaves at ike base of the seta 

 (pericbcetial leaves). Narrowly 

 tongue-shaped, erect, 



253 



Shoot 



P. piliferum. Plant with sporophyte and 

 with creeping shoots at the base. 



