122 



MOSSES WITH A HAND-LENS 



The stems are often four to six inches long and nearly erect, 

 and crowded so closely together as to form dense soft cushions 

 into which the foot sinks deeply. Examined closely, the stems 

 appear a bright red through the semi-transparent leaves. 



FIGURE 57. Hyhcommm rugosum. Plants natural size; leaves X 5* 

 and leaf cells. 



Schreber's Hypnum has broad obtuse leaves incurved at apex 

 and very concave, and is put by some botanisis in a subgenus of 

 Hypnum, by others in Hylocomium. The capsules mature in 

 autumn ; they are not as frequent as one would expect from the 

 abundance of the plants. 



HYLOCOMIUM RUGOSUM (Ehrh.) DeNot, Wavy Hypnum. 

 When well developed this is one of the most striking of our 

 mosses; the stems reach a length of four inches or more, and 

 with the leaves are as thick as a lead pencil. The branching 

 may be sparse and irregular or frequent and pinnate. The 

 rather dense mats are usually bright glossy yellowish-green. The 

 leaves are % inch or more in length, strongly falcate-secund r 



