Hairy-cap Mosses 



out flowers." Pliny called them "golden maiden-hair." They 

 were dedicated to Venus and afterward to the Virgin Mary. 

 Because of this fancied resemblance of the veils to a maiden's 

 tresses, they were used to make a wash which was supposed to 

 strengthen the hair. 



Polytrichum commune. Crc ss- 

 section of stem. 



With lid. Without lid. With veil 



P. commune. Spore-cases. 



The plants are very tall, i to 18 inches high, and live on year 

 after year, growing perpendicularly from the centre of the male 

 (aniberidial) flower-heads or from horizontal underground stems, 

 or from the side of main stems. The stems (see 

 page 45) are stout, with almost woody fibres run- 

 ning up through them. 



The leaves are long and slender, with a lance- 

 shaped, awned apex and a membranous sheathing 

 base; the vein is broad and covered by numerous 

 thin green blades (lamella, see page 44), and the 

 margins are entire or serrate, often inrolled. 



The generic name Polytrichum is composed of 

 two Greek words, TTO\W, many, and 0pl%, a hair, 

 and refers to the large mitrate, hairy veil which 

 may partially or entirely cover the spore-case. 



The spore-cases are erect or horizontal with 4 to 

 6 angles, a distinct basal portion (apophysis, see 

 page 57), and lids conical or flattened-convex with 

 a point at the centre. 



The peristome is single, of 64 short, rigid teeth 

 united at the base and joined above to a thin circular 

 disk (epiphragm) which terminates a central column. 



249 



M. juniperin- 

 um. Leaf with 

 unrolled mar- 

 gins. 



