MOSSES WITH A HAND-LENS 



FAMILY 2. ANDREAEACEAE. The Andreaea Family 



HIS family is characterized chiefly by the 

 dehiscence of the capsule, which splits into 

 four valves after the manner of the Hepaticae, 

 the valves remaining attached at the apex. 

 The plants of this family are all mosses of al- 

 pine or subalpine habitat, growing upon granitic or slaty 

 rocks. The appearance is always dark, sometimes black, 

 and the leaves are very brittle and dense. The pres- 

 ence of chlorophyll in the leaves is not apparent except 

 in very young leaves. There is very little difference 

 in the capsules of the different species. 



ANDREAEA PETROPHILA Ehrh. is common on 

 exposed rocks in the mountains of our range. 

 It is easily distinguished from any species of 

 Grimmia or Orthotrichum by its lack 

 of costa, and it is much more 

 slender than Hedwigia, and without 

 hyaline points to the leaves. The other 

 points in its structure are best made 

 out from the illustration. It is 

 abundant on the face of the Old Man 

 of the Mountain in 

 Franconia Notch, 

 N. H. 



A. ROTHII W. 

 & M. (A. rupestris 

 of many authors) 

 occurs with the 

 preceding and oc- 

 casionally descends 

 to lower levels on 

 "exposed rocks. It 

 has been found 

 along the Hudson, 

 at Yonkers. It is 

 easily distinguish- 

 ed from A. petro- 



... FIGURE 2. Andreaea Rothii. (From Bry. ICur.) 



phila by the elon- 



gated- lanceolate 



Andreaea Rothii. (From Bry. 

 Leaves and leaf sections. 



.VI n 



