i48 



M US 



THE UNIVERSAL HERBAL; 



M US 



mouth naked, or covered with a membrane or network of the 

 inner fringe, or variously jagged, or closed by distinct and 

 regular teeth; column extending from the base to the point 

 of the capsule, filiform, straight, passing through the lid into 

 the style, and often giving the licl a pointed appearance. 

 Seeds: numerous, minute, spherical, smooth, or rough. Ha- 

 bit : sterns leafy ; leaves membranaceous, reticulated, after 

 being dried reviving when soaked in water. Observations. 

 If Bryum, Pomiforme, Subulatum of Haller, Trichoides, and 

 a few others, be excepted, Mosses bear the stamina and pis- 

 tilla in separate flowers, either on the same, or on distinct 

 plants. The time of flowering generally coincides with that 

 of the fruit attaining maturity, as happens in other evergreen 

 perennials. Thus in Polytrichum urnigcrum; Mnium fon- 

 tanum, hornum, punctatum, undulatum ; Bryum trickoides, 

 caespititium, &c. the veils fall off early in the spring, and 

 the seed is scattered abroad ; whilst at the same time the less 

 obvious unimpregnated germina, and the male or staminifer- 

 ous flowers, are performing their respective functions. This 

 circumstance caused these ripe capsules to Jbe mistaken for 

 antheroe, and the seeds for pollen. Both male and female 

 flowers are furnished with an involucre, which gives the out- 

 ward figure to the flower, and is called the Perichcctium. 

 It varies more, and is more to be attended to, in the male 

 than in the female flowers. The-radiated disks of the Poly- 

 trichums and Mniums are very remarkable, and the scales 

 composing them differ in many respects from the other leaves. 

 The heads which put forth from the extremities of the Bry- 

 ums have been hitherto unnoticed, though they contain the 

 parts of fructification, and are composed of leaflets or scales 

 different both in shape and size from the stem-leaves. Thus 

 in Bryum rurale they are not terminated by hairs, and are 

 shorter than the stem-leaves: in Bryum pellucens, scoparium, 

 heteromallum, aciculare, &c. they are broader than the other 

 leaves, and more hollow at the base : where the disklike 

 substances form a kind of bud, as in almost all theHypnums, 

 Bryum extinctorium, Subulatum, pulvinatum, hypnoideum, 

 &c. they are much smaller than the leaves ; they are also 

 concave, ovate, or spoon-shaped, and destitute of the hairs 

 which are on the real leaves. These therefore are truly the 

 calix, and as they include the florets with stamina only, they 

 may be called the Perichsetiums of the male florets. On those 

 Mosses which bear female flowers or capsules, the leaves 

 adjoining to the peduncle are much more beautiful than those 

 on the stems: but sometimes theinher leaves become gradu- 

 ally smaller, and those nearest to the flowe'-s so very minute, 

 that without a microscope it is not possible to dissect them 

 away, so as to expose the flower. These therefore are to be 

 considered as the involucres of the female flowers surrounding 

 and embracing the germen. Male, or staminiferous flowers. 

 The anlherse are almost universally cylindrical, either straight 

 or crooked ; but in Sphagnum pahistre and Mnium andro- 

 tjynum they are ovate, and more or less tapering to a point. 

 Their colour is a very dilute green, almost white. When 

 viewed under the highest magnifiers, and strongly illuminated 

 by reflected light, they are found to contain a granulated 

 substance; but their tops are very pellucid, and this pellucid 

 part expands into a rising vesicle at the time the pollen is 

 about to be discharged ; the top then opens, and the pollen 

 is ejected, the space from which it issues becoming more 

 transparent. This pollen, whtu evacuated, seems to explode 

 in tlio drop of water ii 1 which these observations are to be 

 . Beside the anthertc included within the same invo- 

 lucre, are some very delicate succulent bodies of various 

 shapes. In Folytrichum and Mnium some of the barren 

 florets are like disks, others like roses ; and some like stars, 



when in a fully expanded state. In the Stellated Polytri- 

 chums, the scales are placed in concentric circles. In Mnium 

 hornum, palustre, fontanum, &c. they are more like a rose 

 or disk. After the pollen is dispersed, these roses or stars 

 become more expanded ; but previous thereto they are gene- 

 rally so open as to admit a view of the parts they contain. 

 In some Mosses the flowers terminate the branches, and in 

 such, though a little open, they are not enough so, to allow a 

 sight of the antheree until the flowering be past. Some florets 

 are like buds, and sit in the bosom of the leaves ; others in 

 the imbricated thickened termination of the branches, as in 

 Sphagnum. Female flowers. These are furnished with a 

 germen, style, and stigma; butbeing accompanied by other sub- 

 stances much resembling them, they are difficult to be distin- 

 guished until the germen begins to swell in consequence of its 

 impregnation. The pistils after impregnation daily growing 

 larger, and rising upwards, shew the calyptra, or veil, which 

 may be considered as a kind of petal, and is perforated at the 

 top by the style. This style is sometimes permanent, falling off 

 only with the veil itself; but where it is not so, the remains of 

 it are always to be found. It is evident, from what has been 

 said, that what Linneus calls the antheree, are really the seed- 

 vessels : but by sowing the seeds which they contain, a crop of 

 youngplants has been repeatedly procured, in all respects simi- 

 lar to their parents. The capsules of Mosses are always sup- 

 ported upon a peduncle, though sometimes it is very short, 

 and, excepting only in Sphagnum palustre, it is sheathed and 

 conical at its base. The capsules vary in shape, size, and 

 consistence. In some species there is an elastic ring between 

 the capsule and the veil, which, when the seed is ripe, throws 

 off" the veil with more or less force. The veil being thrown 

 off, certain fringe-like processes or projections appear, vary- 

 ing greatly in size, shape, structure, number, and disposi- 

 tion : they surround the opening of the capsule in a single 

 or double, rarely in a triple series. These substances con- 

 stitute the Peristoma or Fringe, which seems designed to 

 defend the seeds in wet weather. In dry weather it expands 

 and leaves the mouth of the capsule open, but upon the least 

 moisture, even that of the breath, it closes again. The seeds 

 of the Mosses are sphericals, generally smooth, sometimes 

 dotted, as in Bryum extinctorium ; sometimes prickly, as in 

 Bryum pyriforme and heteromallum. They are brown, yel- 

 lowish, or greenish. Some of the above observations being- 

 made with very high magnifiers, are to be received with some 

 degree of caution. Mosses thrive best in barren places ; 

 most of them love cold and moisture. Uses, Trifling and 

 insignificant as they are generally supposed to be, their uses 

 are by no means inconsiderable. They protect the more ten- 

 der plants when they first begin to expand in the spring, as 

 the experience of the gardener can testify, which attaches him 

 to cover with moss the soil and pots which contain his ten- 

 derest plants ; for it equally defends the roots against the 

 scorching sun-beams and the severity of the frost- In the 

 spring particularly, the roots of young trees and shrubs are 

 liable to be thrown out of the ground, especially in light 

 spongy soils: but if they are covered with moss, this accident 

 never can happen. They who raise trees from seed, will find 

 an interest in attending to this remark. Mosses retain mois- 

 ture a long time without being disposed to putrefy. The 

 angler takes advantage of this circumstance to preserve his 

 worms, and the gardener to keep moist the roots of such 

 plants as are to be transported to any considerable distance. 

 It is a vulgar error to suppose that Mosses impoverish land. 

 It is true they grow upon poor land which can support 

 nothing ; but their roots penetrate very little, in general 

 hardly a quarter of an inch into the earth. Take away the 



