FUNARIACE^E.] 13 [Funaria. 



Autoicous ; densely gregarious or matted, pale green, stem 3 6 lines, 

 often divided ; leaves distant, erecto-patent, flaccid, obovate-oblong, 

 abruptly acuminate, obtusely serrate in upper half, nerve vanishing in 

 the point, cells large oblong-hexagonal. Calyptra erect, 45 lobed at 

 base. Caps, on a long seta, erect, roundish-pyriform, contracted below 

 the mouth when dry, rufo-fuscous, smooth, the marginal cells rectangular 

 in 12 16 rows, the neck short and well-defined, annulus of two rows of 

 cells, lid convex-conic, shortly rostellate, spores spinulose. 

 HAB. Moist banks and borders of ditches; not uncommon. Fr. 4. 



Readily known by the lobed calyptra from the similar Funaria fascicularis, 

 which has also a plano-convex lid. 



6. FUNARIA Schreb. 



In L. Gen. plant. 8 ed. ii, 760 (1791). 



Plants short and simple, inhabiting the ground, with laxly areolate 

 ovato-lanc. leaves. Calyptra long-persistent, covering the greater part 

 of the fruit, large inflato-cucullate, entire at base, long-beaked. Caps, 

 pyriform, oblique and cernuous, or symmetric and erect; lid plano- 

 convex, sometimes mamillate ; peristome double, simple or none, teeth 

 16 often twisted obliquely to the right, with their points attached to a 

 central disc ; endostome of 16 lane, processes opposite to the teeth and 

 adhering to them at base. Male infl. discoid, on a short branch. Der. 

 from funis a rope, referring to the twisted seta. 



The genus Funaria comprises nearly 100 species, the larger half belonging 

 to the section Entosthodon, which is connected to Funaria by such a gradually 

 ascending series of closely allied species, that they can only form one 

 extremely natural genus, the distinctive characters of which reside in the 

 form of the calyptra and operculum. The peristome attains its highest 

 development in F. hygrometrica, in which the teeth are spirally twisted and 

 at about -| their length dip straight downwards and then inwards to be 

 attached to a little central sieve-like disc, affording a beautiful object for 

 the microscope. 



CLAVIS TO THE SPECIES. 



Capsule symmetric. 

 Peristome none. 



Leaves bordered, caps, short-necked. obtusa. 



not bordered, caps, long-necked. fascicularis. 



Peristome single. attenuata. 



Capsule asymmetric, gibbous. 



Caps, smooth, annulus none. culcarea. 

 striate, ann. large, coloured. 



Lid very small, subconic, endostome rudimentary. microstoma. 



broader, convex, endos. well developed. hygrometrica. 



Sect. i. ENTOSTHODON. Ca-psule nearly regular, erect, peristome 

 none, simple or sometimes double. 



