THE BRITISH PEPPERWORTS, 



105 



THE PILLWORT OE PEPPER-GRASS. 



The Pilidaria globulifera of botanists, called sometimes 

 1'epper-grass, is a small creeping plant with grassy leaves, 

 growing usually in the shallow margins of lakes and pools, 

 where it is occasionally overflowed ; but 

 sometimes occurring entirely submerged. 

 The stem is thread-like, occasionally 

 branched, and producing on the lower 

 side, at intervals, small tufts of fibrous 

 roots which descend almost perpendicu- 

 larly into the muddy soil beneath. On 

 the upper part of the stem, at the same 

 points, occur tufts of erect leaves, which 

 are curled up in the incipient state, like 

 those of a Fern, but on unrolling assume 

 the erect position. These leaves are 

 bristle-shaped, from one to four inches 

 long, bright green, smooth externally, and 

 hollow within. 



The fructifications consist of small glo- 

 bular spore-cases, attached by a very short 

 stalk to the stem at the points whence 

 the leaves and roots proceed. They are 

 densely covered externally with pale brown 

 jointed hairs, and are about the size of a 

 small pea or pepper-corn. These spore- 

 cases are four-celled, and when mature, 

 split into quarters, the four parts remain- 

 ing attached to the footstalk by their base. 

 The lower part of the spore-case is occu- 

 pied by the large spores, which are round- Piiularia globulifera. 

 ish-oblong, with a terminal nipple-like 

 point, and the upper part is occupied by the small spore* 

 which are oblong pale yellow bodies resembling pollen. 



The Pillwort is widely distributed throughout the United 

 Kingdom, but is apparently more abundant in England and 

 Wales, than in Scotland and Ireland. It usually grows on 

 the margins of lakes or pools, where it is covered by the 

 water in winter, and more or less exposed during the summer; 

 bu>. it is also sometimes, though rarely, met with entirely 

 submerged. 



