32 MOSSES WITH A HAND-LENS 



is lateral or terminal, exserted ; peristome like that of Dicranum, 

 with sixteen forked, highly colored teeth, which are often papillose 

 above. 



The peculiar structure of the leaf has been explained in 

 several ways, but the explanation given by Robert Brown in 

 1819 has recently been verified by the studies of Mr. K. S. 

 Salmon. 



According to this theory the clasping portion of the leaf 

 represents the original leaf, while the rest of the leaf is made 

 .up of lamellae, one dorsal and the other terminal. This theory 

 is strongly confirmed by the fact that these supposed lamellae are 

 wanting in the perigonial leaves and very much reduced in size 

 or wanting in the lower-stem leaves. Moreover, the peristome 

 shows this family to be closely related to the Dicranaceae, in 

 which dorsal lamellae are often strongly developed. 



The leaves are often bordered, sometimes with a number 

 of elongated cells, much as in Mnium, but, more frequently, with 

 cells of the same shape and size but of a different color; the 

 border is usually too narrow to be distinctly made out with a 

 hand-lens. 



F. CRISTATUS Wils. is apparently the most common species. 

 It grows on moist soil or stones in shaded places. The 

 sporophyte is lateral and the leaves are margined with a border 

 of lighter cells as shown in the plate of F. adiantoides. 



F. ADIANTOIDES (L.) Hedw. can be told from F. cristatus with 

 certainty by the compound microscope alone. The latter species 

 seldom reaches more than an inch and a quarter in height while 

 F. adiantoides may be two or three inches high. Both species 

 mature their spores in winter. 



F. OSMUNDIOIDES (Swtz.) Hedw. is 

 one-fourth to two inches in height 

 (rarely twice this) ; leaves not bordered ; 

 dioicous; with terminal sporophyte; 

 capsule suberect or inclined; operculum 

 with a needlelike beak nearly as long 

 as the rest of the capsule. Spores ma- 

 ture in summer (July). Common on 



various substrata. Uaf-apex'of " Life,. 



F. TAXIFOLIUS (L.) Hedw. is usually (From Bry Eur } 



