MOSSES IN THE VICINITY OF CLEVELAND. 67 



these pistillidia, in a single llower, arrives at maturity and 

 becomes the ripened pistillidium or capsule. 



The capsule, previous to its full development, is covered 

 with a membranous-looking envelope called the calyjJtra. 

 These capsules, each mounted on its pedicle as they emerge 

 either from the axilla of a branch or as the termination of a 

 stem, present the appearance of bristles, and are hence 

 called setcB. The elongation of these, the reproductive 

 cells, at their summits, expand into the capsule, while at 

 the same time the calyptra, which previously enclosed it, 

 is torn from its attachment at the base and pushed to the 

 apex of the capsule, and there loosely rests like a hood or 

 cap. When it separates entire, with no longitudinal rup- 

 ture, it is said to be mitre form., or mitre shaped. When in 

 its detachment from the capsule it becomes split a short 

 distance on one side, it is said to be cuoulliform or hood 

 shaped. 



This capsule generally opens by means of a lid called the 

 operculum., in a few species, however, it opens by splitting 

 into four valves. The operculum is connected with the 

 capsule by a ring, more or less conspicuous, of elastic cells 

 called the annuhis. At maturity these cells detach the 

 operculum from the capsule. <^ 



On the removal of the calyptra, the upper end of the cap- 

 sule lid, or operculum, is exposed; this may be either 

 convex, conical, or beaked, &c., and when ripe is readily 

 removed from the capsule, fully exposing its mouth, which 

 is beautifully fringed with a single or double circle of teeth- 

 like processes called the peristome. The outer fringe con- 

 sists of elongated processes called teeth^ while the inner, 

 when present, give the appearance of long filamentous 

 cilice, or thread-like processes wove into net work. In some 

 species the peristome is single, in others it stretches across 

 the mouth of the capsule, while again in others the peris- 

 tome is entirely absent. 



