MOSSES WITH A HAND-LENS 5 



THE HAIR-CAP MOSSES 



THE Hair-Cap Mosses, called Bird Wheat in many localities, 

 are the largest and most highly developed of all our mosses, 

 and by reason of their size and common occurrence are 

 familiar objects to nearly every one. Many an old field and 

 meadow is carpeted with the dark rich green of the Common 

 Hair-cap. The farmer, however, votes it a pest, as it often 

 entirely supplants the grass over large areas of meadow. 



The hairy cap that gives this genus of mosses its name is 

 composed of long hairs growing from a little scale-like body, the 

 calyptra proper, at the top of the capsule. 



The Hair-caps, in common with most other mosses, are sub. 

 ject to great extremes of moisture and dryness, and their appear- 

 ance when dry is very different from what it is when moist, as 

 the leaves fold up against the stem to check the rapidity of evap- 

 oration. Some plants that do not produce a sporophyte end in a 

 rosette of highly modified leaves. These are the male plants, and 

 among the leaves of the rosette are numerous anthendia. The 

 male plants of many other dioicous mosses end in a similar rosette. 



There are four common species of the Hair-caps, all having 

 square capsules. The Pogonatums are put with the Hair-caps by 

 some authors, but are readily distinguished by the cylindric cap- 

 sules. In other respects there is very little to distinguish the two 

 genera. 



The Common Hair-cap is our largest moss, sometimes having 

 stems a foot long, although usually much smaller. It is one of 

 of the most widely distributed of plants, being found in all parts 

 of North America, in Europe and in Asia. It is also one of the 

 very few mosses put to some economic use. The Laplanders use 

 it to stuff pillows and beds. In England it is sometimes used for 

 brooms. 



The leaves of the Common Hair-cap are very thick and strong, 

 with a thinner clasping base and serrate margins. The capsules 

 mature in June or early July. 



The Ohio Hair-cap without the sporophyte (seta and capsule, 

 commonly called fruit) is not readily distinguished from the Com- 

 mon, as the leaves and general appearance are very similar. Hut 

 with the sporophyte present, the distinctions are clear. In figs, band 

 d, note that the capsule of the Common Hair-cap is almost cubical, 

 that the lid has a very short beak, and that the capsule is entirely 

 covered by the calyptra. The capsule of the < >hio I lair-cap (e) is 



