White Mosses 



Pedicel (seta). Dark-brown, twisted to the left when dry ; 

 i to | of an inch long. 



Lid (operculum). Conical, long-beaked, oblique. 



Annulus. None. 



Teeth (peristome'). Sixteen, lance-shaped, red at the base, 

 cleft to below the middle into two unequal forks. 



Spores. Mature in winter or early spring. 



Distribution. Common all over the 

 world, except in Asia. 



Mature 

 Spore-case. 



Dry 



spore-case. 

 Leucobryum vulgore. 



Portion of peristome. 



THE EIGHT-TOOTHED WHITE MOSSES 

 Genus OCTOBLEPHARUM, Hedw. 



The Genus Octoblepharum very much resembles the genus 

 Leucdbryum, the principal difference being that the genus Octoble- 

 pharum has but eight teeth instead of sixteen. This characteristic 

 gives it its name from the Greek OKTW, eight, and fi\e<j>dpov, eye- 

 lash. 



There are fifteen species in all, eight of them in North America. 



The Eight-toothed White Moss, Octoblepharum albidum, 

 Hedw. 



Habit and habitat. In small white cushions on bark and on 

 shady rocks. 



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