MOSS HABITATS. 31 



the stem, the capsule is somewhat curved, and has a longish 

 beak (fig. 20, upper fig.); fruit ripe in November. A 

 species similar to P. bryoides is also frequent in Warwick- 

 shire ; this is readily distinguished from it by the capsule, 

 which is curved to one side. This is Fissidens incurvus. 

 This species ripens its fruit about February or March. 



Another moss, frequent on banks such as I have described, 

 is Tortula unguiculata. It may be known by its somewhat 

 tongue-shaped leave:, terminated by a small mucro or point, 

 and having the margin recurved, or turned towards the 

 lower surface ; the fringe of the peristome consists of thirty- 

 two spirally twisted teeth. It fruits from December to 

 April. A close ally, Tortula fallax, not unfrequent, has 

 leaves tapering from the base, a more curved capsule, and 

 fringe also twisted. Another frequenter of marly banks is 

 the minute Dicranella varia, which occurs in patches of a 

 reddish green colour. It has narrowly lance-shaped nearly 

 erect leaves. The capsule is small and slightly inclined to 

 one side, and the conical lid has a very short beak ; the 

 fringe consists of sixteen deeply divided teeth. It fruits 

 about November. 



A more rare species, Dicranella rufescens, will occasion- 

 ally be found growing with this, and may be distinguished 

 by the erect capsule and more conical lid or operculum. 

 Under the microscope the leaves will be found to have a 

 different texture j those of D. varia having narrow close 

 cells, whilst D. rufescens has large, pellucid cells, the leaf- 

 margin is toothed or serrated, and the whole plant has a 

 more or less reddish hue. In northern districts, the clay 

 banks will occasionally yield the very interesting Discelium 

 nudum, which may attract attention by its dense masses of 

 confervoid-like protonema, in which will be seen scattered 

 patches of tufted leaves. The stem being almost absent, 

 these little tufts are dull green, or sometimes, after severe 

 weather, of a reddish tinge. But about March the attention 

 will be arrested by the abundant reddish, wavy fruit-stalks, 

 bearing at their summit a somewhat drooping capsule, which 

 has a slightly beaked lid ; and these fruit-stalks will appear 

 the more singular because, owing to the very slight develop- 



