MOSSES WITH A HAND-LENS 



127 



with Hypnum reptile. Another species, A. irriguum, is treated 

 in connection with the Water-loving Hypnums. The species as a 

 rule are hard to determine without a compound microscope and 

 only one other is included here, although we have a much larger 

 number of common species. 



A. SERPENS (L.) B. & S., the Creeping Hypnum, is common 

 on soil and moist rotten wood in shaded places. As will be seen 

 from the figures of the plants the leaves are almost too small to 

 handle readily with forceps, but when mounted a well developed 

 costa can be made out. The lens, however, will not show the 

 cells. 



FIGURE 61. Leaves of Amblystegium serpens, highly magnified. 



RAPHIDOSTEGIUM. 



R. RECURVANS (Mx.) J. & S., the Common Raphidostegium, 

 looks very much like one of the true Hypnums with irregular 

 "branching and secund ecostate leaves. It is a bright yellow-green 

 and grows in dense mats on rotten stumps and logs in wet 

 shaded places. It is common throughout our range, but I have 

 rarely seen it in fruit in the vicinity of New York City. The 

 chief distinction from the true Hypnums lies in the very short 



