74 American Midland Naturalist Monograph No. 6 



This spcies is reported as common in the eastern United States but, with 

 the following exceptions, all the specimens we have seen from our region 

 labeled as F. adiantoides we have referred to F. cristatus. 



Washington Co.: Shaded ravine, McCracken Sta., Sept. 24, 1892; near Washing- 

 ton, Dec. 10, 1892; and ravine near Claysville, Dec. 17, 1892, all A. Linn and J. S. 

 Simonton. 



8. FissiDENS taxifolius [Linnaeus] Hedwig 



, (Hypnum taxifolium Linnaeus) 



Plate XV 



Plants gregarious, light green, branching at base, usually 5-10 mm high, 

 erect to ascending: stem rather stout and rigid; leaves close, imbricate, oblong- 

 ovate, apiculate, uniformly crenulate, non-bordered, ascending, the middle 

 leaves usually longest and up to 2 mm. long, the inferior lamina ending 

 abruptly ?.t the base, sheath extending to the middle or beyond; costa strong 

 and excurrent in the apiculus; leaf-cells rounded-hexagonal, about .010 mm in 

 diameter, incrassate, one or two rows next the costa larger, the marginal row 

 usually a little paler, the costa at the apex widening and consisting of elongate 

 parenchymatous cells: seta about 8-14 mm long, flexuous-ascending, smooth, 

 yellowish-castaneous, arising near the base of the plant; capsule varying from 

 sub-pendulous to erect, oblong, slightly inflated on the back, smooth, about 1.5 

 mm long, tapering abruptly to the seta, castaneous to dark brown; {peristome 

 bright red-chestnut, the teeth inserted a little below the mouth of the capsule, 

 forked to below the middle, the prongs very slender, trabeculate, somewhat 

 spirally papillose; spores smooth, about .016-. 017 mm in diameter, pale yel- 

 lowLsh-pellucid; operculum conic, obliquely rostrate to about half the length 

 of the capsule. Mature in late fall or winter. 



On damp clayey soil, Canada and eastern United States, south to the 



Gulf. Europe, Asia, Africa. 



Known from Allegheny, Butler, Fayette, McKean, Lawrence, Tioga, and Washingon 

 counties. Specimen figured: Bennett, McKean Co., Oct., 26, 1898. D.A.B. 



9. FiSSIDENS OSMUNDIOIDES [Swartz] Hedwig 



(Dicranum osmund'wides Swartz) 

 Densely tufted, 1-5 (TO) cm high, dark green, tomentose below with 

 brown rhizoids: stems simple or sometimes branched basally, erect; leaves 

 numerous, close but hardly imbricated, the apical ones the largest, oblong- 

 lanceolate, serrulate towards the apex, non-bordered, usually rounded and 

 apiculate at apex, the sheath reaching from one-half to two-thirds the I'af- 

 length, inferior lamina often ceasing abruptly at base and not decurrent; costa 

 ending just below the apex; leaf-cells oval- or rounded-hexagonal, large, about 

 .010-.018 x .012-.025 mm, incrassate, a single row at margin often paler, pel- 

 lucid, and a little smaller: seta terminal, yellowish to chestnut-red, about 5-10 

 mm long; capsule narrow-oblong, sub-erect, to inclined, thick-walled, chestnut- 

 brown or darker; operculum conic with a needle-like usually straight bea'c nea ly 

 as long as the urn; calyptra cucullate or several-lobed at base; spores smooth 

 about .018-.025 mm. Mature in midsuinmer. 



