SPLACHNACE^E. 



[ 719 ] 



SPLEEN. 



lanceolate, neither obtuse nor trabeculate, 

 twin, rufescent, rather fleshy teeth. Colu- 

 mella ordinarily projecting (fig. 670). Cap- 

 sule on an apophysis (fig. 673), mostly fur- 

 nished with stoinates. 



British Genera. 



(Edipodium. Calyptra soft, longish-nar- 

 row, split almost to the summit, obtuse, 

 somewhat lacerated at the base. Capsule 

 subglobose, loosely reticulated, soft, with a 

 very long colluin arising from a gradually 

 thickened fruit-stalk, the mouth naked. 

 Columella dilated at the apex. Inflores- 

 cence monoecious. 



Tetraplodon. Calyptra smallish, hood- 

 shaped, split to the middle, operculate, 

 delicate. Capsule apophvsate, oval-cylin- 

 drical. Apophysis obconical, obovate, or 

 subovate. Columella scarcely dilated at 

 the apex. Peristome of sixteen double teeth 

 in fours, lanceolate, formed of two rows of 

 cells, connate in pairs at the base, reflexed 

 when dry, erect and incurved when moist, 

 much shorter than the capsule. Antheridial 

 flower sessile in the axil of a leaf, or termi- 

 nal on a little special branch, in a capituli- 

 forrn bud. 



Tayloria. Calyptra inflatedly conical, 

 erect, split at one side, constricted at the 

 base, lacerated around the margin. Peri- 

 stome arising below the orifice of the cap- 

 sule, of sixteen or thirty-two teeth j teeth 

 single, approximated in pairs or coherent, 

 often very long ; when moist incurved and 

 involuted, when dry (in the ripe capsule) 



Fig. 674. 



reflexed, appressed to the capsule or tortu- 

 ously bent down; very hygroscopic. Inflo- 

 rescence monoecious. fcolumella mostly 

 free, exserted from the ripe capsule, flattish*- 

 apiculate. 



Dissodon. Calyptra inflatedly conical, 

 erect, slit at one side, constricted at the 

 base and torn or erose. Peristome arising 

 at the orifice of the capsule. Teeth thirty- 

 two, connate, in eight bigeminate or sixteen 

 geminate teeth, lanceolate, smooth, trans- 

 versely articulate, connivent into a depressed 

 cone when moist, subincurved when dry. 

 Inflorescence perfect or monoecious. Colu- 

 mella included or exserted, flattish. 



Splachnum. Calyptra conical, rather 

 small, entire or slit here and there at the 

 base. Peristome of sixteen teeth, composed 

 of a double row of cells, lanceolate, largish, 

 yellowish, approximated in pairs and to 

 some extent conglutinated, when dry re- 

 flexed and appressed to the capsule, when 

 moist erect and incurved at the apex. In- 

 florescence dioecious, rarely monoecious. 

 Columella ordinarily emerging, capitate. 



SPLACHNUM, Linn. A genus of 

 Splachnacese (see above). & amputtaceum 

 is not uncommon on the dung of animals on 

 bogs, is a very handsome moss, with purple 

 or red capsules. S. vasculosum (figs. 669- 

 673) is less common, occurring only in high 

 mountain districts. 



SPLEEN. This organ appears to occur 

 exclusively in the Vertebrate, but is not 

 found in the Leptocardia and Myxinoids. 

 The spleen is covered externally by the 



Fig. 675. 



Fig. 676. 



Fig. 674. Natural size. Portion from the middle of the spleen of an or, washed ; showing the bands and their 

 arrangement. 



Fig. 675. Peculiar fibres from the pulp of the human spleen, belonging to the microscopic trabeculee. Magnified 

 350 diameters. 



Fig. 676. One of the same enclosed in a cell. Magnified 350 diameters. 



