and particularly of the Genus Mnium. 261 



Wil ness the most natural genus of Saxifraga. On the other.hand, 

 what slight marks are we glad to seize, in the, grasses and umbelli- 

 ferous plants, to mark genera which habit shows to be distinct! 



As the furrowed sphcerical capsule of Bartrdmia therefore with 

 ease reduces to that genus the Mnium chrysocoinum of Dickson, as 

 well as the fontanum and marchicum of Hedwig, which Nature 

 indicates as belonging to it, and possibly his spharocarpon also, 

 though I have not seen the latter; so the furrowed cylindrical cap- 

 sule of Mnium will, unless I am greatly mistaken, bring together 

 species closely allied to each other, and on many accounts unlike 

 other mosses. If the cylindrical or sphaerical capsule be thought 

 too slight a distinction, these two genera must be united under 

 Mnium, that being the oldest name ; but I should with difficulty 

 assent to such an union. 



I shall conclude with the generic character of Mnium at length, 

 and an enumeration of all the species that I have been able to 

 determine with certainty. 



MNIUM. 

 Capsula cylindracea, mox sulcata. Teristomium exterius dentibus 



sedecim, basi dilatatis: interim membranaceum, laciniatum. 



Calyptra laevis. Pedicellus terminalis. 



1. Mnium androgynum, monoicum, capsula rectfl operculo co- 

 nico, foliis undique imbricato-patulis apice denticulatis. 

 M. androgynum. Linn. 

 Dill. t.3l.f.l. 

 Habitat in Europa. 



■I. Mnium conoideutn, monoicum ? capsula obovatfi. recta, operculo 

 subulato, foliis undique imbricato-patulis integerrimis. 



M. conoideum. Engl. Bot. t. V239. 



Brvum 



