66 HANDBOOK OF BRITISH MOSSES. 



ORDER III. HOOKEEEI, Br. & Sch. 



Stem mostly flattened with bifarious large-celled leaves, 

 creeping, irregularly branched, rarely cylindrical and suberect, 

 with the leaves pointing in every direction ; sporangium hori- 

 zontally cernuousj thick, on a succulent elongated stalk ; veil 

 smooth, campanulate ; peristome double. 



4. DALTONIA, Hook. % Tayl. 



Leaves pointing in every direction, with elongated cells; 

 sporangium cernuous or suberect; lid large, rostrate; veil 

 mitriform, fringed below with several rows of cilia; peri- 

 stome double ; external of sixteen teeth, inner of sixteen cilia, 

 of equal length, nearly distinct at the base. Small, tufted, 

 mostly exotic Mosses. 



1. D. splachnoid.es, Hook, fy Tayl. ; branches short, fasti- 

 giate; leaves crowded, lineari-lanceolate, acute, somewhat 

 keeled, the nerve vanishing below the tip; margin thickened; 

 sporangium suberect, oval, oblong, with a distinct apophysis ; 

 outer teeth generally perforated. Hook. Wils. t. xxii. ; 

 Eng. Bot. n. 2564. ; (Plate 3, fig. 4.) 



On moist rocks and trees in one or two localities in Ireland, 

 but not yet found on any part of the Continent. Bearing 

 fruit in winter. 



About i of an inch high ; monoicous and bisexual ; branches 

 tufted, suberect; leaves crowded, dark green; sporangium 

 purple-brown, with a small but distinct swelling at the base ; 

 fruitstalk minutely granulated; peristome large; outer of 16 

 yellow teeth, perforated in the centre ; inner of 16 keeled cilia, 

 distinct at the base. 



There are several exotic species of this genus, which is ex- 

 tremely rare in Europe, and indeed confined to Ireland. The 



