28 POLYTRICHUM. 



This species has much the appearance of the following in 

 the shape of the capsules, but in its leaves approaches nearer 

 to the two preceding ones. The leaves, however, are very 

 much more acute, broader, very strongly toothed, and of 

 singularly glaucous green hue, reddish only through age, by 

 which it may be distinguished at first sight. The stems are 

 still more branched than in P. alpinum^ and about two or 

 even three inches io length. 



9. P. aloides; stems short; leaves linear-lanceolate, obtuse, their 



margins plane, serrated, principally at the extremity and at 

 the summit of the keels : capsule nearly erect, cylindrical, 

 without an apophysis. (TAB. XI.) 



*. major : fruitstalks two inches long ; stems usually simple. 



P. aloides. Hedw. St. Cr. v. 1. t. 14. Menz.in Linn. Trans. Turn. 

 Muse. Hib. p. 88. Engl. Bot. t. 1649. Moug. et Nestl. p. 129. P. m- 

 bellum. Menz. in Linn. Trans, v. 4. t. l.f. 3. Turn. Muse. Hib. p. 87. 

 gngl. Bot. t. 1939. Mnium polytrichoides 0. Linn. Sp. PL p. 1577. 



/8. Dicks&ni : fruitstalks veiy short : stems branched with innova- 

 tions. 



J>. Dicksoni. Turn. Muse. Hib. p. 90. t. 10. /. 2. Engl. Bot. 1. 1605. 



HAB. Moist banks, not uncommon. 



Stems for the most, part half an inch high and simple ; in 

 the P. rulellum of Menzies sometimes an inch in length, 

 and producing here and there innovations which make them 

 appear branched. The var./3. has the stems always branched 

 with one or more annotinous shoots, each of which, gene- 

 rally bearing a fruitstalk not more than half an inch long, 

 gives the plant a very remarkable appearance, and has in-* 

 duced that admirable muscologist Mr. Turner to consider it 

 a distinct species. 



10. P. nanum ; stems short ; leaves linear-lanceolate, obtuse, 



their margins serrated, principally at the extremity as well 

 as the summit of the keels ; capsule nearly erect, sub-glo- 

 bose. (TAB. XI.) 



P. nanum. Hedw. St. Cr. v. 1. t. 13. Menzies in Linn. Trans. 

 Turn. Muse. Hib. p. 89. Engl. Bot. t. 1625. Moug. et Nestl. n. 130. 

 P. subrotundum. Menzies in Linn. Trans. Engl. Bot. t. 1624. P. pu-' 

 milum. Swartz Muse. Svec. t. 9,/, 19. Hedw. Sp. Muse. t.2l. Dill. 

 Muse. t. 55. f. 6.' 



HAB. Moist banks, with P. divides, common. 



We are quite unable to find any difference between the 

 P. nanum and subrotundum of authors ; and with regard to : 

 the species itself, we have seen capsules in so exactly an inJ 

 termediate state between this and P. aloides, that we have 

 at a loss to determine to which they should be rcfen*ed v 



