i Will! A HAND-LENS 



33 





THE FERN MOSSES 



THE Fern Mosses ( Thuldium) have been noted by every lover 

 of out-of-door life because of their delicate and beautiful 

 fern-like form. The branches are given off very regularly 

 like the pinnae of a fern, and the branches themselves often give 



off branchlets as regularly as the 

 pinna of a fern is divided into 

 pinnules. 



The Common Fern Moss [ T. 

 delicdtulum (L.) Mitt] grows in 

 damp shady places over stones and 

 earth, rotten logs and the like. It 

 is very regularly twice or even 

 thrice pinnate. It grows abun- 

 dantly in suitable situations 

 throughout our range, but pro- 

 duces capsules rather sparingly. 

 These mature in early autumn 

 and are very large, much curved, 

 and are borne on long stout setae. 

 The perichaetial leaves bear long 

 cilia along their upper margins. 

 This is the only character by 

 which this species can be dis- 

 tinguished readily from another 

 closely related species [ T. r< 

 nit urn (Hedw. ) Lindb.], which is also a common plant. 



Growing on the bark of trees are several smaller species that 

 are usually only once pinnate. The Smaller Fern Moss [ T. scltum 

 (Beauv.) Aust] is the one most likely to be met with, especially 

 in the northern portion of our range. The capsules, besides 

 being much smaller, are only slightly cernuous and are nearly 

 symmetric. The capsules mature in autumn. 



Another simply pinnate species that is common is the Wiry- 

 Fern Moss [ T. abietlnum (L. ) B. & S. |. This moss is most fre- 

 quently found in dry sterile places on the ground among the grass, 

 and on ledges. It varies considerably in appearance according to 

 habitat and its immediate condition as to moisture. Usually it is 

 very evenly and regularly pinnate. Though frequent, it is very 

 rarely found fruiting in our latitude. Mr. R. S. Williams, how- 

 ever, found it fruiting freely in Alaska. Mr. Williams also re- 

 ports several other similar cases, one of the most conspicuous 

 being Ilypnum rugosum L. 



lion < 



sule of the same X 5. 

 X 1. 



, Thuidium delicatu- 

 T. scttum 1. e, Cap- 



T. abiet inton 



