OEDIPODIACE^E.] 120 [Oedipodium. 



hyaline articulated threads. Leaves from a very narrow base, obovate- 

 spathulate, very obtuse, entire, lower minute, remote, accrescent upward, 

 rosulate at apex, patent when moist, corrugated and flexuose when dry, 

 the upper often bearing axillary, obovate gemmae, margin entire, longly 

 ciliate at base, nerve broad flattened, prominent only beneath, vanishing 

 below apex; cells smooth, chlorophyllose, basal rectangular, slightly 

 incrassate, median multangular-oval with trigonous spaces, upper smaller, 

 multangular rounded. Seta scarcely any, its place being taken by a 

 very long, spongy tubular hypophysis, twisted to the left when dry, and 

 having large scattered stomata ; calyptra fugacious, thin membranous, 

 hyaline at lower part, fuscescent above. Caps, solid, subspherical, orange- 

 brown, defluent into the long pale greenish white hypophysis ; lid 

 convex or obtusely conic ; annulus and peristome wanting. 



HAB. Clefts of rocks and wet peaty soil, on mountains, rare. Fr. 7 8. 



Snowdon (Griffith) I ! Carnedd Llewellyn and Glyder Vawr (Wilson) ! ! Ingleboro' (Dalton 

 and Hooker). Clova mountains (Don and Drummond) !! Ben Nevis and Ben Cruachan 

 (Rev. C. Smith). Ben Ledi (Hooker). Ben Arthur (McKinlay) ! ! Ben Challum (Stirton) ! 

 Head of Kentmere (Stabler 1867) ! Helvellyn and sporadically throughout the Lake 

 district (Binsteaci). The Bizzle and Henhole, Cheviots (Hardy). Forfar (Don). Ben 

 Laoigh (Ewing). 



This curious moss differs so much in leaf structure from the Splachnaceae, 

 that I have followed Linberg in regarding it as the type of a distinct family. 

 The pale succulent peduncle resembles much more that of a Jungermania 

 than that of a moss. Out of Great Britain it has only been found in a few 

 places in Norway and Lapland. 



TAB. LXIII. 

 Oedipodium Griffithii (Glyder Vawr, George}. 



a. Fertile plant, a*, The same magnified, r. Leaf. xa. Apex. ia. b. Areolation of 

 base. 4. Antheridium and paraphysis. 5. Capsule. <;x. Section of same. 6. Calyptra. 



Tr nomwxi "* '* 



10. Gemmae. 



