46 MOSSES WITH A HAND-LENS 



the stem is usually covered with a dense felt of radicles. The 

 leaves are falcate-secund but not undulate or crisped. The cap- 

 sules are curved but are not plicate or striate when dry except in 

 a rather rare variety which has the capsules slightly striate. The 

 spores mature in late summer or autumn. 



The Broom Moss gets its name from its resemblance in 

 miniature to a hair broom or counter brush. It is almost as com- 

 mon and widely distributed as the Common Hair-cap, being found 

 in all portions of the northern hemisphere. It is often used by 

 florists to form banks of green in show windows. 



D. FUSCESCENS Turn., the Fuscous Dicranum, is a smaller 

 plant yet frequently larger than the figure. The leaves are 

 strongly crisped when dry and the capsules when dry are plainly 

 striate or sulcate. It usually grows on decayed wood in cool 

 moist woods at an elevation of 1000 feet or more, but may be 

 found on soil or bases of trees and occasionally at lower alti- 

 tudes. The differences between this species and the last are well 

 shown in the figures. 



D. UNDULATUM Ehrh., the Wavy Dicranum, is very robust, 

 3 to 10 inches high, often decumbent at base; growing in loose 

 wide tufts, densely radiculose, bright glossy yellow-green. The 

 leaves are undulate, innth a silky luster, very long, lanceolate, 

 gradually narrowed, scarcely secund, margin recurved below for 

 1-3 to 1-2 the length of the leaf, above this strongly serrate 

 to apex. The costa is comparatively narrow, with two strongly 

 serrate lamellae on the back above. The alar cells are dis- 

 tinctly marked. The capsules are clustered (several setae from 

 the same perichsetium) and the setse are long and reddish. The 

 capsules are cernuous and arcuate, striate when empty, with 

 spores maturing in late summer. 



Our largest and most beautiful species, common in shaded 

 places on soil and stones covered with humus, but not fruit- 

 ing freely. The only species with which it could possibly be 

 confused is the next. 



D. DRUMMONDII Muell., Drummond's Dicranum, is most likely 

 to be mistaken for D. undulatum, but it is rather smaller and 

 less glossy; its leaves are less undulate and are secund and 

 strongly crisped, not recurved at base below ; they are much 

 more slender pointed than in the Wavy Dicranum. The cap- 

 sules of the two species are very much alike. 



The spores mature in summer. It grows on decayed wood 

 in forests in elevated regions, not common. 



