NAIWTA. 871 



pale, or dark to brownish green, rarely reddish in colour. Stems 

 creeping or suberect, simple or furcate, slightly laterally com- 

 pressed, cortical cells smaller and darker than the inner, which 

 are large and distinct, about 9x9 cells in diam. ; radiculose, 

 rootlets plentiful, dull white. Leaves distichous, imbricate, suc- 

 cubous, erecto-patent or patent, obliquely inserted, appressed or 

 spreading, orbicular or rotund, slightly concave, entire or slightly 

 retuse, lower smaller and distant ; texture somewhat thick ; cells 

 smallish, roundish quadrate, walls moderately firm, trigones large, 

 distinct ; lumen containing several oil corpuscles. Stipules large 

 and distinct, subulate or triangular-subulate, entire. Involucre 

 obovate, laterally compressed, composed of two bracts and brac- 

 teole ; bracts much larger than the stem leaves, orbicular, entire 

 or emarginate, bracteole triangular-subulate, connate at the lower 

 half of the bracts. Perianth immersed in the bracts, the lower 

 half adnate with the innermost bracts, composed of more delicate 

 cells, conoid, mouth contorted. Capsule oval-spherical. Spores 

 brown, elaters bispiral, brown. Androecia terminal or on the 

 middle of stem ; perigonial bracts closely imbricate, smaller than 

 the leaves, ventricose, enclosing 2 roundish oval, small antheridia. 



Fruits March, April. 



Dimensions. — Stems |- to 1 inch long, -2 mm. to -25 mm. in 

 diam., with leaves V to 1*5 mm. wide; leaves '6 mm. x '8 mm., 

 •7 mm. X -9 mm., 7 mm. x 7 mm., '6 x 75 mm.; cells '03 

 mm., -025 mm., '035 mm. "02 mm.; stipules '225 mm. x -125 

 mm. at the base, '25 mm. x '125 mm., -35 mm. x -075 mm. ; 

 bracts 1-25 mm. x I'l mm. ; bracteole 1- mm. x -6 mm.; pistil- 

 lidia -15 mm. x '075 mm. ; perigonial bracts -G mm. x -G mm., 

 •G mm. X 7 mm., '5 mm. x -G mm.; antheridia 'll mm. x 'l 

 mm., '11 mm. x -08 mm. 



Hab. — Grows in loose or dense patches on damp banks, moors, 

 rocks, or stones; generally distributed 1 to 18. I. 



Common on the Continent. 



Found in North America. 



Obs. — A common species, easily recognised, even when barren, 

 by the presence in the leaf-cells of several oil corpuscles, from any 



