BLEPHAEOSTOMA. Ill 



Genus 1 2. BLEPHAROSTOMA, Dam. 



Jungerniania, Linn. Fl. Suec. (1745). 



Jungermania, sect. Blepharostoma, Dum. Syll. Jung. Eur. p. 65 (18)51). 



Blepharostoma, Dum, Recueil, p. IH (1885). 



Ptilidium, Mitt, in Journ. Linn. Soc. (18G1). 



Chaetopsis, Mitt, in Journ. Linn. Soc. viii. n. 29, p. 51 (1864:). 



Plants small, ciBspitose, or creeping amongst mosses. Stems 

 slender, opaque, about 5 cells in diameter, exterior smaller ; radi- 

 culose, subdicliotomously branched ; branches few, long, patulous, 

 all lateral ; flagella absent. Leaves transverse or slightly incu- 

 bous, almost to the base 4-partite ; cura capillaceous, subparallel, 

 composed of about 12 uniseriate cells; postical a little shorter, 

 middle rarely bifurcate ; cells medium size, oblong-quadrate lepto- 

 dermous, slightly chlorophyllose, almost smooth. Stipules about 

 half the length of the leaves, 3-crura. Inflorescence paroicous and 

 dioicous, terminal. Bracts $ tristichous, about 3 pairs, those 

 immediately surrounding the perianth being longer than the 

 leaves, verticillate, slightly connate, deeply 4-fid (pagina at the 

 base 4-6 cells high) ; lobes dichotomous or plurifid, lacinise fili- 

 form. Exterior bracts less divided ; in paroicous specimens base 

 turgid and antheridiferous. Perianth projecting, white, cells sub- 

 elongate, composed of a single layer of cells, pyriform-cylindrical, 

 at first distinctly obtusely triplicate, afterwards almost inflated 

 or terete, apex constricted, trigonous, mouth shortly pluri- 

 laciniate. Calyptra half the size of the perianth, slender, oblong, 

 rupturing into two lips, about 5 sterile pistillidia surrounding its 

 base. Pedicel elongate, calceolus obconical. Capsule cylindrical- 

 oblong, 4-valved, composed of two layers of cells. Elaters 

 bispiral, very obtuse, foUicule very delicate, quickly disappearing. 

 Spores smooth. Perigonial bracts about 8-pairs, equal in size 

 to the leaves, incurved, G-partitate, the middle crura 2 or 3 

 bifurcate, monandrous. 



