HEDWIGIACEAE 



73 



lurnea lo 



lorlesstips. \| | f 

 tit IS cofn- W t^ 



Hedivigia albicans 



Plant when moist; and when dry; 

 leaf and capsule enlarged. 



Leaves straight, easily seen; when moist, wide-spreading, 

 and bright green in new growth; when dry, erect and 

 folded, sometimes turned to 

 one side, and grayer-; 

 hoary, due to the colorless 



Seta so short that it is com- w^ % i[ 

 pletely concealed. M "^ 



Capsule on the side of the ^ 

 stem, almost completely con- 

 cealed by surrounding leaves; 

 mature in spring. 



Operculum convex. 



Range, throughout North 

 America; almost a cosmopoli- 

 tan species. 



Additional characteristics seen with hand-lens: Leaves 

 ending in a white tip ; capsule yellowish, with a wide, red- 

 rimmed mouth; peristome lacking. 



Hedivigia will be found growing in rather flat 

 patches var^ung in size. The plants when moist present 

 an entirely different appearance from that when dry. 

 When moist, the branches are straight and stout; the 

 leaves are wide-spreading and quite a bright green in 

 the new growth, much darker below; and if the plants 

 are fruited, the light-brown capsules with a red rim at 

 the mouth can be seen above the leaves. When dr}% 

 the branches often curl upwards at the tips, and are 

 much more slender, as the leaves are closely folded ; the 

 plants are darker in color, often hoary from the color- 

 less tips of the leaves; the new grow^th is not so con- 

 spicuous; and the capsule is concealed by the leaves 



