BRACHYTHECIACEAE 745 



The general characteristics of Brachytltecium, which 

 hold for most species, are the prostrate stems, irregu- 

 larly branched, leaves straight, equally arranged around 

 the stem and branch-es, erect or erect-spreading, and the 

 usually short, thick capsule. The capsule in some 

 species is more slender than in others, but never so long 

 and slender as in Slereodon Haldanianus (p. 237). 

 Some of the common species of Brachylhecium {B. 

 salehrosum and others) so closely resemble Slereodon 

 Haldanianus in growth and leaf -character that they 

 cannot be distinguished except when fruited. 



The following table, giving usual habitats, may be 

 helpful in looking up different species : — 



Plants growing on moist ground .... 



B. salehrosum. B. Starkei. 



B. oxycladon. B. vclutinum. 



B. rutabulum. B. acuminatum. 



B. rivulare on moist banks by streams. 



Plants growing on rocks in beds of streams .... 



B. rivulare. B. plumosum. 



Plants growing on rocks not in streams .... 



B. salehrosum. B. Starkei. 



B. oxycladon. B. rcflcxum. 



B. rutahulum. B. vclutinum. 



B. populcum. B. acuminatum. 



Plants growing on roots or trunks of trees .... 



B. salehrosum. B. populcum. 



B. oxycladon. B. vclutinum. 



B. rutahulum. B. acuminatum. 



