240 VEGETABLE ORGANOGRAPHY. 



but in the opinion which this author had that the capi- 

 tulum of Mosses is a simple flower, this term was con- 

 tradictory with regard to his own theory ; for each 

 female organ has its own calyptra ; and in that which he 

 called hermaphrodite flowers, he said that the corolla was 

 situated within the stamens. These difficulties do not 

 exist when the capitula of Mosses are considered as 

 aggregated flowers. The calyptra is the integument of 

 each of the female flowers, and may be compared to the 

 perigone of monochlamydeous flowers. 



After flowering, the calyptra, elevated by the elon- 

 gation of the pedicel, is broken across near the base j 

 sometimes, as in Sphagnum j)alustre, the lower part 

 remains at the base of the fruit, but most frequently this 

 is not visible, and the calyptra remains placed as a small 

 cup at the top of the fruit, and falls off at the approach 

 of maturity. Sometimes the enlargement of the fruit 

 causes it to break laterally, at other times the pedicel 

 curves at the apex, so that the fruit is pendent, and the 

 calyptra drops off, which organ, at this period, is always 

 membranous or half-withered, resulting from its having 

 no longer any organic connexion with the plant ; it is 

 almost always smooth, but it sometimes bears hairs, 

 which appear to be the remains of paraphyses united 

 with it ; these hairs are directed upwards in Oligotr'i- 

 ckum and Orthotrichum, and downwards in Polytrichum. 



The pedicel, which was so short at the period of flow- 

 ering as to be hardly visible, afterwards elongates so as 

 often to be longer than the stem ; it is a true thecaphore, 

 and is slender, simple, cylindrical, firm, and composed of 

 compact elongated cellular tissue. The name of Pedi- 

 cel or Bristle, (seta,) is given to it. 



The Theca, which terminates the pedicel, is the true 

 pericarp ; its form is most frequently oval, sometimes 

 either tapering or swollen at the base, or slightly pro- 



