320 



Tribe II. MUSCOIDE^, or MOSS-LIKE PLANTS. 



Cellulares roLiACE.-E, Dee. Th£or. Elim. 249. (1819) — Psi;uDOCOTYLEDONEiE, 



Class!. Agardh Aph. 103. (1822) Heteronejiea, Fries Syst. Orb. Veg.'d^. 



(1825) in part Acotyledones, Class 2. Ad. Brongniart in Diet. Class. 5. 159. 



(1824) Cryptogamic-S, 2d Circle, T. F. L. Nees v. Esenbeck and Ebermaier 



Handb. der Med. Bot. 1. 18. (1830.) 



Diagnosis. Flowerless plants, with a distinct stem having no vascular 

 system, but frequently furnished with leaves; their sporules having a proper 

 integument, and contained in distinct axillary, terminal, or superficial thecse. 



These are altogether intermediate between the first and third families, 

 and are distinguishable essentially by their having a distinct axis of growth 

 without any vascular system ; they are connected with Marsileaceae by 

 Jungermannia, and with Lichens by Riccia and Marchantia ; to Algse the 

 transition is by Characese, which have the evascular axis of Muscoidese, with 

 the habit and propagating matter of Algae. Von Esenbeck and Ebermaier 

 refer Characeae to the next tribe, but their structure is scarcely reconcilable 

 with the character those authors give it, viz. " root, stem, and leaves, not 

 separately formed ; all analogy with plants of a higher organisation is lost, 

 and the green matter, which is so characteristic of the vegetable kingdom, 

 scarcely makes its appearance," &c. 



LIST OF THE ORDERS. 

 267. Musci'. I 268. Hepaticae. | 269. Cliaraceac. 



CCLXVII. MUSCI. The Moss Tribe. 



Musci, Juss. Gen. 10. (1789); Hedwig Descr. et Adumb. (1787-1797) ; Bridel Muscolog. 

 recentiorum (1797-1803); Hediv. Species Muscor. Frondos. (1801); Palisot Pro- 

 drome des b et(i Fam. de rJEthiogum. (1805); Bridcl Sitppl. (1806-1819) ; M^eber 

 Tabid. Muse. Frondos. (1813); Dec. Fl. Fr. 2. 438. (1815); T. F. L. Nees de 

 Muscor. Propag. (1818); Hooker and Taylor Muse. Brit. (1818); Hooker Musci 

 Emtici (1818-1820); Agardh Aphor. 105. (1822); Greville and Arnott in Wem. 

 Trans. 4. 109. ^r. (1822); Nees v. Esenbeck, Hornschuch, and Sturm, Bryolog. 

 Germ. (1823); Grev. Fl. Edin. xiii. (1824); Ad. Brongn. in Diet. Class. 11. 248. 

 (1827) ; Hooker Brit. Fl. 1. 459. (18.30.) 



Diagnosis. Flowerless plants, with the sporules contained in thecse, 

 closed by an operculum. 



Anomalies. In Andresca the theca separates into 4 valves. 



EssENTiAi- Character Erect or ireepiiig, terrestrial or aquatic, cellular plants, 



having a distinct axis of growth, destitute of a vascular system, and covered with minute, 

 imhricated, entire, or serrated leaves. Reproductive organs of two kinds, viz. ; 1. Axillary 

 bodies, cylindrical or fusiform stalked sacs, containing a multitude of spherical or oval 

 particles, which are emitted upon the a])jilication of water; 2. Tliecie, hollow urn-like 

 cases seated upon a seta or stalk, covered liy a membranous calyptra, closed by a lid or 

 operculum, within whicli are one or more rows of cellular rigid j)rocesses, called collec- 

 tively the peristomium, and sejtarately teeth, which arc always some multiple of four, 

 and combined in various degrees ; the centre of the theca is occupied liy an axis or 



