SPLACHNACE^. 



[ 600 ] 



SPLACHNACEJ3. 



pi. 27, Phyc. Brit. pi. 105 ; Thompson, Ann. 

 Nat. Hist. v. p. 81; Ralfs, Ann. Nat. Hist. 

 xvi. 308, 2nd ser. viii. p. 205. 



SPLACHNACEJE. A tribe of Funa- 

 rioideae, Acrocarpous operculated Mosses, of 

 broad and densely tufted habit, mostly found 

 upon dung, with a very much branched, 

 loosely-leaved stem (fig. 674). Inflorescence 

 hermaphrodite, dioecious, rarely monoecious. 

 Antheridial flower a capituliform, terminal 

 bud. Antheridia large, club-shaped, rather 

 curved. Archegonia narrow, long-apiculate. 

 Peristome, if present, of regularly lanceolate, 

 neither obtuse nor trabeculate, twin, rufes- 

 cent, rather fleshy teeth. Columella ordi- 

 narily projecting (fig. 675). Capsule on an 

 apophysis (fig. 678), mostly furnished with 

 stomates. 



British Genera. 



I. (EDIPODIUM. Calyptra soft, longish- 

 n arrow, split almost to the summit, obtuse, 

 somewhat lacerated at the base. Capsule 

 subglobose, very loosely reticulated, soft, 

 with a very long collum arising from a gra- 

 dually thickened fruit-stalk, the mouth 

 naked. Columella dilated at the apex. In- 

 florescence monoecious. 



II. TETRAPLODON. Calyptra smallish, 

 hood-shaped, split to the middle, operculate, 

 delicate. Capsule apophysate, oval-cylin- 

 drical. Apophysis obconical, obovate or 

 subovate. Columella scarcely dilated at the 

 apex. Peristome of sixteen double teeth 

 approximated in fours, lanceolate, formed of 

 two rows of cells, connate in pairs at the 

 base,reflexed when dry, erect, incurved when 

 moist, much shorter than the capsule. An- 

 theridial flower sessile in the axil of a leaf 

 or terminal in a little special branch, in a 

 capituliform bud. 



III. TAYLORIA. Calyptra inflatedly co- 

 nical, erect, split at one side, constricted at 

 the base, lacerated or erose all round the 

 margin. Peristome arising below the orifice 

 of the capsule, of sixteen and thirty-two 

 teeth, teeth single, approximated in pairs or 

 coherent, often very long, when moist in- 

 curved and involuted, when dry (in the ripe 

 capsule) reflexed, appressed to the capsule 

 or tortuously bent down, very hygroscopic. 

 Inflorescence monoecious. Columella mostly 

 free, exserted from the ripe capsule, flattish- 

 apiculate. 



IV. DISSODON. Calyptra inflatedly co- 

 nical, erect, slit at one side, constricted at 

 the base and torn or erose. Peristome arising 

 at the orifice of the capsule. Teeth thirty- 



two, connate, in eight bigeminate or sixteen 

 geminate teeth, lanceolate, smooth, trans- 

 Fig. 674. Fig. 675. 



Fig. 676. Fig. 677. 



Fig. 678. 



Splachnum vasculosum. 



Fig. 674. Nat. size. 



Fig. 675. Ripe capsule open, dried, and the apophysis 

 shrivelled. Magnified 20 diameters. 



Fig. 676. Calyptra. Magnified 20 diameters. 



Fig. 677. Young capsule and apophysis. Magnified 20 

 diameters. 



Fig. 678. Vertical section of an unopened capsule with 

 its spongy apophysis. Magnified 20 diameters. 



versely articulate, connivent into a depressed 

 cone when moist, subincurved when dry. 

 Inflorescence perfect or monoecious. Colu- 

 mella included or exserted, flattish. 



V. SPLACHNUM. Calyptra conical, rather 

 small, entire or slit here and there at the 

 base. Peristome of sixteen teeth, composed 

 of a double row of cells, lanceolate, largish, 



