BUXBAUMIA. 



[ 104 ] 



CLEOMACEI. 



Fig. 97. 



Fig. 98. 



Buxbaumia aphylla. 



Fig. 97. Mouth of capsule with double peristome and 

 recurved persistent annulus, magnified 150 diameters. 



Fig. 98. Columella with adherent operculum, both 

 capsule-wall and spore-sac having been removed, magni- 

 fied 60 diameters. 



habit, with an obtusely conical, straight 

 operculum, and a peristome (fig. 97). Inflo- 

 rescence monoecious. Brit, genus : 



BUXBAUMIA, Hall. A genus of Bux- 

 baumiacese (Acrocarpous Mosses), repre- 

 sented in Britain by B. aphylla, a plant of 

 remarkable character. The annulus which 

 persists after the operculum has fallen, re- 

 sembles a third, outer circle of peristomal 

 teeth (fig. 97) ; the real external peristome 

 is closely applied upon the inner, which form 

 a truncated cone, slightly twisted when dry. 

 When ripe, the wall of the oblique capsule 

 (fig. 95) gives way at one side, falls off and 

 exposes the spore-sac (fig. 96), which bursts 

 to discharge the spores. The columella 

 (fig. 98) is very large, and the operculum is 

 attached to its summit. The antheridia are 

 oval cellular bodies opening by the separation 

 of the cells like teeth above, to emit grumous 

 masses of spermatozoids (fig. 89). 



BIBL. Bruch and Schimper, Bryol. Europ. 

 part 1. 



C. 



CABINET for holding microscopic objects. 

 See INTRODUCTION, p. xx. 



CACTACE^E. A singular family of Di- 

 cotyledonous plants, especially remarkable, 

 microscopically, for the peculiar structure of 

 their wood-cells. See SPIRAL FIBROUS 

 STRUCTURE, and WOOD. 



BIBL. Schleiden, Beitr. z. Anat. der 

 Cacteen, St. Petersburgh, 184 ; Miquel, 

 Ann. des Sc. nat. 2 ser. xix. 165. 



CADMIUM. Solution of the oxide or 



carbonate of this metal in sulphuric acid, 

 when evaporated on a slide, yields disks or 

 circular aggregations of minute radiating 

 needles (circular crystals) of the sulphate, 

 which exhibit essentially the same pheno- 

 mena under the action of polarized light, as 

 those of the oxalurate of ammonia. The 

 disks frequently exhibit irregular undulating 

 somewhat concentric dark bands, indicating 

 parts where no double refraction takes place. 



PI. 31. fig. 10 gives but a very imperfect 

 idea of the appearances presented by these 

 crystals, when viewed by polarized light. 



C^OMACEL A family of Coniomyce- 

 tous Fungi (corresponding nearly to the 

 Hypodesmii, Fries), consisting of plants 

 forming a filamentous mass (mycelium) in 

 the substance of living plants, and finally 

 breaking out on the surface in patches, 

 margined or naked, containing simple or 

 compound spores, single or in beaded rows ; 

 sometimes preceded by other conceptacles 

 (spermagonia) bearing spermatia. These 

 plants, well known under the names of smuts, 

 brand, bunt, &c., are but imperfectly under- 

 stood at present, some appear to be dimor- 

 phous or even polymorphous, so that even 

 the genera are not well established. They 

 would appear also to be rather Ascomycetous 

 than really Coniomycetous plants. 



Synopsis of British Genera. 



1. Rastelia. Pseudo-peridium produced 

 into a cup fibril! ated at the margin, spores in 

 stalked beaded rows. 



2. JEcidium. Pseudo-peridium emerging 

 as a regularly toothed, radiating cup; spores 

 in stalked beaded rows. 



3. Epitea. Spores heaped up in definite 

 groups, on a stroma, without pseudo-peri- 

 dium, surrounded by paraphyses; spores 

 stalked, solitary. 



4. Podocystis. Spores heaped on a distinct 

 stroma, paraphyses stalked, clavate ; spores 

 in chaplets borne on cylindrical pedicels. 



5. Coleosporium. Pseudo-stroma flat, 

 without paraphyses ; spores in rows of three 

 or four, sessile. 



6. Cystopus. Spores exserted, naked, 

 globose or square, in beaded chains, stalked 

 on a cylindrical vesicle, without paraphyses. 



7. Triphragmium. Pseudo-stroma fleshy, 

 spores emergent, stalked, bilocular or trilo- 

 cular by the upper cell having a perpendi- 

 cular septum. 



8. Phragmidium. Pseudo-stroma cellular, 

 bearing cylindrical rows of four cells, on 

 simple, elongated pedicels. 



