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In general the leat'>- hepatics can be distinguished from the 

 niosses by the flattened appearance of the plant, due to a marked 

 difTerentiation of the upper (dorsal) and the lower (ventral) sur- 

 face. The leaves also are apparently arranged in two rows over- 

 lapping like shingles (imbricated). An exception to thi;. is (lym- 

 iiomiirium before mentioned. The leaves of hepatics consist of a 

 single layer of almost regularly hexagonal cells, without e\en the 

 rudiment of a mid-rib (except in one or two rare forms), and they 

 are often bifid or multifid. 



If in fruit, the leafy hepatics can easily be recognized by the 

 dark, globular, four-valved capsule borne on a slender, delicate, 

 white fruitstalk and ha\ing spiral elaters mixed with the spores. 



The true mosses, on the other hand, possess stem and leaves 

 arranged in ranks and while often flattened have a much less marked 

 dorso-ventral diff'erentiation. The leaves are never bifid or multi- 

 fid and the leaf-cells are usually much elongated, seldom regularly 

 hexagonal and in three-fourths of the species possess well-defined 

 mid-rib. 



No moss except the rare Andrecra has a capsule splitting into 

 four valves but nearly all moss capsules open by a lid {operculum), 

 .ind most have a characteristic fringe of teeth (peristome) about 

 the mouth. No true moss has spiral elaters mixed with its spores. 

 In color, mosses, excepting the peat mosses, are nearly all of some 

 shade of green ranging from almost black to a light yellow green. 



Any good text-book of botany will give these distinctions with 

 iuore detail and usually with helpful illustrations. 



THE CORD MOSS AND ITS ALLIES. 



THERE are several common and interesting allies of the Di- 

 cranums that would make profitable study, but for variety's 

 sake we will turn our attention to a moss with a double 

 peristome and other characters not before treated of in The Brv- 



OLOGIST. 



The cord moss (Fiinaria hyg_rometrica) is so called because 

 i.f the twisted seta which is very hygroscopic and untwists when 

 moist. Its Latin name, Funaria, is derived from funis, a rope. 

 This twisting of the seta is not peculiar to this group, however, 

 but is common in many other groups. The cord moss is to be 

 found everywhere, being especially abundant in waste places and 

 on soil recently burned over. I have seen it completely cover the 



