OF WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA 105 



lower third the cells much larger, without chlorophyll, rec- 

 tangular to rhombic, hyaline or slightly colored, smooth, 

 bordered by a few rows of narrow, elongate, and yellowish 

 cells: seta long, erect; capsule erect, symmetric, cylindric, 

 smooth or plicate, mostly with a short neck; annulus present; 

 peristome varying from none to well-developed, usually of 16 

 teeth ; operculum from a conic base very long and slenderly 

 eiect-rostrate ; calyptra cylindric-campanulate ("extinguisher- 

 like"), long-rostrate, straight, completely enclosing the capsule, 

 the border fringed ; spores large and papillose. 



A world-wide family mostly on soil and rocks, occurring 

 in the tropics, however, only on the higher mountains. At 

 least 40 species ; about 20 species occurring in North America ; 

 2 in our region. The family embraces but one genus, with 

 characters as given for the family : 



1. EXCALYPTA Schreber. Hedwig. 



Key to the Species. 



a. Mnnoicotis: no gemma?: peristome single: capsule smooth. 



i. It. ciliata. 



a. Dioicous: clusters of slender brown gemma? in axils of leaves: 

 peristome double: capsule spirally striate. 2. E. streptocarpa. 



1. Encalypta ciliata Hedwig. 

 (Lccrsia laciniata Hedwig; Leersia ciliata Hedwig). 



Loosely cespitose, bright green : stems branched, 1-2.5 

 cm. high, densely radiculose below ; leaves large, broadly 

 obovate-oblong to lingulate. rounded at apex, apiculate, plane- 

 margined and narrowly recurved below, spreading when moist, 

 crisped and incurved when dry ; costa yellowish, ending just 

 below apex or percurrent ; basal cells lax, hyaline, rectangular, 

 walls red, the marginal paler and narrower in several rows, the 

 upper leaf-cells opaque, densely papillose, hexagonal-quadrate, 

 the walls pellucid, cells about .015 mm. across: seta long, 

 erect, yellowish to reddish, dextrorse ; capsule cylindric. red- 

 dish-brown, smooth, constricted below mouth and smooth 

 when dry, at base abruptly tapering into the seta ; peristome 

 single, the teeth 16, lanceolate, reddish, inserted below the rim, 

 irregulary divided in some specimens, papillose, articulate, 

 strono'lv incurved when moist; annulus none; exothecial cells 



o J 



smaller in several rows at the rim ; lid erect, nearly as long 

 as urn. narrow, slenderly rostrate-clavate ; calyptra straw- 

 colored, mitrate, cylindric, slenderly rostrate, extending below 

 the base of capsule, the lower margin fringed with a row of nar- 

 rowly lanceolate teeth ; spores roughened, mature in late 

 summer or early fall : autoicous. 



In crevices or shaded places on rocks and walls, almost 

 cosmopolitan in mountainous or hilly regions ; in North 



