DICEANUM. 139 



US more of flesh. A genus composed very arbitrarily of two 

 extremely natural sections : comprising in the first section 

 the genus Fissidens of Hedwig, the character of whose 

 foliage at once distinguishes it from the succeeding section. 

 The authors of the 'Muscologia Britannica^ were so well 

 aware of this^ that they "were almost tempted to deviate 

 from the Ijinnsean rule of drawing the generic distinctions 

 from the fructification, and to employ those solely founded 

 on the difference of foliage." This has been done more or 

 less in all recent works on Bryology, and we concur in such 

 improvements ; but, for the reasons we have given elsewhere, 

 we retain the arrangement we have referred to. 



Generic Cliaracter. — Seta terminal (except in I), adlantoides 

 and taxifolium). Peristome single, of sixteen bifidj equidistant 

 teeth. Calyptra dimidiate. 



A. Leaves hifarious (Fissidens). 



1. DicEANUM BRYOiDES, Sw. {Lesser Pinnate-leccved 

 Fork Moss.) Seta terminal; leaves of the perichastium re- 

 sembling those of the stem. — Eng. FL p. 35. Fissidens 

 bryoides, Miill. Si/n. pt. 1. ji. 58. 



Moist banks, sides of ditches, and in woods, frequent. 

 Fr. Winter. A small but variable species. We enumerate 

 four varieties. 



