Peat-Mosses 



Male and female 

 branches at the left 

 and (a) rhizoids. 



Lower leaf. 



Upper leaves. 



Plant. 



Spharangium muticum 



Genus PHASCUM, Linn. 



The plants of the Genus Phascum are very small with 

 simple distinct stems. They grow in loose clusters on bare 

 ground under old willows and along brooks and garden paths. 

 The protonema is not persistent. 



The leaves are crowded, forming small 

 heads and are lance-shaped with taper-pointed 

 apex and a broad base with a 

 vein extending as an awn be- 

 yond the apex. The cells are 

 distinct and pale below, smaller 

 and green above, sometimes 

 with minute projecting points 

 on one or both faces. 



The spore-cases are spherical 

 or egg-shaped with a short point 

 or a blunt beak. They are raised 

 on a short, erect or curved 

 pedicel and break irregularly and transversely for the emission of 

 the large, rough spores, which are borne on a thick, central 

 column (columella) . 



There are ten species known in all, three of them in North 

 America. By some they are believed to be mosses in a primitive 

 condition ; by others they are believed to be degenerate forms of 

 higher mosses. 



U5 



Leaf. 



Sporophyte. 

 Spore - case 

 with veil. 

 Pedicel short, 

 with the vag- 

 inule a t the 

 base. 



Spore-case 

 split open to 

 show colu- 

 mella. 



Phascum cuspidalum. 



