POLYTRICHUM. 23 



Smith's remark. Sometimes in dried specimens the imbri- 

 cation of the carinated leaves makes the stems appear an- 

 gular; but when moist they are nearly cylindrical. The cap- 

 sules and indeed the whole plant bear no very slight re- 

 semblance to small specimens of Bartramiajontana. The 

 operculum, however, is conico-subulate. 



It is quite an alpine plant, and in Switzerland we have 

 not met with it at a less elevation than 7 or 8000 feet. 



11. POLYTRICHUM. 



GEN. CHAR. Fruits talks terminal ; Peristome single, 

 of 32 or 64 equidis'tant incurved teeth; their sum- 

 mits united by a horizontal membrane ; Calyptra 

 dimidiate, small. (TAB. I.) 



The teeth in this genus are short, incurved, obtuse, between 

 membranaceous and cartilaginous, their margins whitish, semi- 

 pellucid, their centres marked with a red longitudinal line; the 

 membrane which unites them, under a high power of the micro- 

 scope appears perforated. 



The following extract from Wahlenberg will justify us in re- 

 jecting the division of this tribe into PolyLrichum and Catharinea, 

 as adopted by Ehrhart and Mohr. " In hoc et plerisque Poly- 

 trichis pili calyptrae turn in apice ipsius calyptrae turn in vaginula 

 inseruntur. Flos foemineus calyptrae summitatem et vaginulara 

 continuas habet, utrasque filis succosis erectis cohaerentibus ves- 

 titas. Post florescentiam in altuin surgit summitas calyptrae, et 

 inferior pars elongatur simulque glabra fit, dum pili vaginulae cum 

 calyptrae pilis cohaerenteselongantur demumqueab insertione evel- 

 lentur. Hinc quasi deorsum reflexi apparent pili ; quod tamen 

 neutiquam sunt, dum antea inferne in vaginula inserti fuerunt. 

 De caetero pilositas calyptrae in diversis diversa j in P. hercynica 

 per totam calyptram sparsa, apud P. undidatum in apice tan-! 

 turn, et apud P. l&vigatum omnino deest." 



* Calyptra naked. 

 1. P. undulatum; leaves lanceolate, uudulate, their margins 



