Fontinalis.] D I PL O PERI ST OM I. 141 



HAB. Rivers and stagnant waters ; abundant on wood by 

 river banks. 



Stems often a foot in length, fluitant. Leaves generally broadly 

 ovate, and trifarious, acute, quite entire, not always complicato- 

 carinate ; and we have sometimes seen them so plane, and so 

 narrow, that it has been scarcely possible to distinguish them 

 from those of F. squamosa. Fruit lateral, principally from the 

 lower part of the stems. Perichsetium large ; its leaves resem- 

 bling closely imbricated scales ; they are of a roundish form, 

 concave, nerveless, frequently erose at their apices from the 

 action of the water. Capsule elliptic ; lid conico-acute. 



The specific name was given to this plant in allusion to its 



being employed by the Swedes to fill up the spaces between 



the chimney and the walls, and thus, by excluding the air, 



prevent the action of the fire. 



2. F. squamosa ; leaves nerveless plane or very slightly concave. 



(TAB. XXII.) 



Fontinalis squamosa. Linn. Sp. PL p. 1571. Hedw. St. Cr. v. 3. 



t. 12. Turn. Muse. Hib. p. 199. Smith, Fl. Brit. p. 1336. Engl 



Bot. t. 1861. Funck, Deutschl. Moose, t. 54. A. / 1. Hook. Fl. Scot. 



P. II. p. 139. Hobson, Brit. Mosses, v. 2. n. 52. Drummond, Muse. 



Scot. v. 2. n. 60. Arn. Disp. Muse. p. 70. 



HAB. In alpine rivulets of England, Wales, and Scotland, 

 abundant. 



This is not an uncommon moss ; though it has been con- 

 sidered rare, owing to the similarity it bears to small varieties 

 of the preceding species. Indeed, its distinctness as a species 

 is doubtful, for in general the individuals possess both compli- 

 cate -carinate, and nearly plane leaves ; thus rendering it doubt- 

 ful to what species they belong. Judging from the breadth of 

 the leaves in the English Botany figure, we think that even 

 that representation may be taken from specimens of F. anti- 

 pyretica; and we are certain that all the plants we have re- 

 ceived from Ireland under the name of F. squamosa have been 

 nothing more. Fruit, though smaller, similar to that of F. 

 antipyretica. 



We have never seen F. antipyretica otherwise than in stag- 

 nant waters, or those which have a slow motion, whilst F. 

 squamosa we have constantly found in mountain streams, 



