CRYPTOGAIMJA MUSCL '^: 



are of a fhining red, or orange colour, fr-;^-:". 

 two to four inches long, arifing fingly from the; 

 top of the ftalks, and furrounded zt their bzis 

 with a cylindrical tubular ri?^/-;.'/?, or pericbigiL 

 nm. The Anthera^ or Ciipfuic, is quadrangu- 

 lar, green at fird, afrcrwfi-.-ds yellow, and red 

 when ripe, having an annular /^t'icyi.-:/, cr cpo- 

 pkyfis^ at its bale. The OpercuUtm is flrU, v/ith 

 a projecling point in the centre, and underneitla 

 is a whitiih circular membrane, placed ia the 

 middle of the capfulc's orince, and fuilaintrd 

 there by numerous arched threads, or aV/;?, con- 

 nedled by one end to the circumference of this 

 membrane, and by the other fallened lo jhe 

 ring of the anther a. The pollen, or, as crhcrs 

 term it, the [eed^ is freed from the anihera or 

 iapfuk through the fpace between the cilia. The 

 calyptra is two-fold, an internal and external 

 one ; both which at tirft entirely cover and hang 

 Qv^v iht anther a. The intern.d one is conical, 

 incmbranaceous and fmootii ; tlie external oac 

 is compofed only of tawny hairs, connedled in- 

 to a To-t of rriat, lacerated at the bafe, and 

 ferving like a root o^ thatch to defend thi^ 

 other. 



The difcovery of this two-fold Calyptra we owe 

 entirely to our ingenious friend, Mr. Curtis^ the 

 celebrated author of the Flora Londimnfis^ and 

 a moft fagacious obftrver oi Nature's works. 



Befides the ftalks before dcfrribed, there are com- 

 monly fomc others nsfif at hand, which are def- 



titutc 



