BUXBAUMIACEAE 153 



This curious little plant was first found by Buxbaum, 

 a German botanist, in 171 2, on the banks of the Volga. 

 For some time it was regarded as a fungus, but after 

 careful examination it was referred to the mosses on 

 account of the structure of the fruit. 



Buxbaumia is not a common moss and is collected 

 only when fruited. It is very inconspicuous, especially 

 when the capsules are mature and dark colored. In the 

 fall and early winter the capsules are bright green, and 

 if the ground is bare one can more easily locate the 

 plants, as the capsules are more conspicuous than when 

 brown, and then wait for the fruit to develop before 

 collecting. One needs carefully to examine barren soil 

 in open woods and look for the brownish-green coating 

 from which the plants grow. This coating on the sur- 

 face of the ground is the felted mass of protonema that 

 performs the work of leaves in nourishing the plants. 

 The first appearance of the plants looks like minute 

 buds from which the seta and capsule grow. For some 

 time the young capsule is only slightly larger around 

 than the seta, but the seta is already red, while the 

 capsule remains green until nearly mature. One can 

 sometimes find different stages of development of the 

 capsule on a few square inches of soil, and it will be of 

 great, interest to watch week by week the change that 

 takes place. 



No other moss resembles Buxbaumia, although 

 Webera, the preceding genus, has a capsule similar in 

 shape. 



