3 

 BRYUM GILLIESII. 



Cryptogamia Musci. Nat. Ord. Musci. 



Gen. Char. Seta terminalis. Peristomium duplex : ext. sedecini-den- 

 tatum ; int. e membrana sedecim-laciniata, nunc ciliis interpositis. 

 Calyptra dimidiata. 



Bryum Gilliesii ; caespitosa ramosa, foliis ovatis concavis obtusis inte- 

 gerrimis grosse reticulatis, nervo integro, capsula inclinata una 

 cum apophysi pyriformi, operculo brevi-conico. (Tab. II.) 



Hab. In terram ad radices montium in Andibus, prope Mendozam. 

 D. Gillies. 



Caiiles sublaxe casspitosi, inferne radiculosi, semiunciam longi, erecti, 

 rubicundi, subramosi. Rami dichotomi, non raro ex innova- 

 tionibus orti. Folia subarcte imbricata, erecta, fere exacte ovata, 

 concava, valde obtusa, integerrima, succulenta, laxe reticulata, 

 pallide viridia, nervo valido, usque ad apicem attingente, in- 

 structa. Seta terminalis, semipoUicaris, lasvis. Capsula inclinans 

 una cum apopliysi fere exacte pyrilormis, primum viridis, demum 

 luteo-fusca. Calyptra juvenis fere cyiindracea, hinc Jateraliter 

 fissa. Operculum conicum, vel conico-hemisphaericum, obtusum. 

 Peristomium externum e dcntibus sedecim, acuminatis, brevius- 

 culis, aureo-fuscis ; internum e membrana flava reticulata, sedecim- 

 laciniata, laciniis remotis, erectis, angustis, strictis, ciliis interpo- 

 sitis nullis. 



From a view of the capsule and kaves alone of this curious 

 little Moss, there are few botanists but would pronounce it to 

 belong to the genus Splachnum : but it is altogether a ter- 

 restrial plant, and appears to grow in a very dry and arid soil; 

 and on carefully removing the operculum and the outer teeth of 

 the peristome, the inner laciniated membrane comes to view, 

 showing it to belong to the genus Bryum, or that division 

 of it called Pohlia by many authors, wanting the interposed 

 ciliae to the inner peristome : and thus bearing the same rc- 



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