194 HANDBOOK OF BRITISH MOSSES. 



Mitten distinguishes a species from this, under the name of 

 B. rubens, with more elliptic leaves, a clavato-oblong sporan- 

 gium, and large short conical acute lid. He does not say 

 whether he has found it in England, but he suspects it may 

 be the same with B. radiculosum, Brid., which is Wilson's 

 var. /3. 



13. B. atro-purpureum, Web. fy Mohr ; dioicous ; stem 

 radiculose; leaves lanceolate and ovato-acummate, entire, 

 loosely imbricated above; nerve slightly excurrent; margin 

 reflexed below; sporangium oval or oval-oblong, constricted 

 below the mouth. Hook. Wils. 1. 1. ; (Moug. fy Nest. n. 832.) 



On walls, dry pastures, etc. Bearing fruit in early summer. 



Differs from the last in the shorter thicker sporangia, 

 and the broader, shorter, subimbricated leaves. Sporangia 

 deep-red or purplish when ripe. The character, from the 

 degree of reflexion of the margin of the leaf, is, I fear, not 

 constant. As Bryum apiculatum, Wils., has not yet been found 

 in fruit, it is perhaps better to omit it. 



14. B. alpinum, L. ; dioicous ; densely tufted. Stem simple, 

 radiculose at the very base ; leaves crowded, imbricated, erecto- 

 patent, straight, more or less lanceolate; nerve rigid, excur- 

 rent; sporangium pendulous, oblongo-pyriform, constricted 

 below the mouth when dry. Hook, fy Wils. t. xxviii. ; Eng. 

 Bot. t. 1623. ; (Moug. Nest. n. 221.) 



On moist mountain- rocks, and near the sea. Bearing fruit 

 in summer. 



Forming dense purplish tufts. Leaves straight when dry ; 

 margin recurved ; nerve forming a short apiculus ; sporangium 

 red ; lid mammillary. 



15. B. Miihlenbeckii, Br. fy Schimp. ; dioicous; csespitose. 

 Stem dichotomously branched, densely radiculose; leaves 

 suberect, imbricated, ovate or oblong, elongated, gradually 



