i74 



MOSSES WITH A HAND-LENS 



mature in early spring. Frequent in swamps on the ground and 

 over mosses. Although the plants are very distinct from every- 

 thing else it is very difficult to get a drawing that represents them 

 satisfactorily. 



PTILIDIUM. 



p. ciEiARE (L.) Nees also has its leaves divided into hairlike 

 divisions, but a considerable portion of the base of the leaf is 



undivided. 



The plants are small, about 



of an inch wide, 

 dark green, with 

 leaves spreading when 

 moist, closely imbri- 

 cated when dry. The 

 perianth is obovate 

 with a fringed mouth. 

 The spores ripen in 

 early spring but the 

 capsules may be 

 found in autumn. The 

 capsule in the illus- 

 tration was collected in August. Ptilidium is very common on 

 rotten wood and frequently occurs on humus and stones. It 

 fruits very freely and the slender white setae surmounted by the 

 black capsules are conspicuous objects to one who goes botaniz- 

 ing in early spring. 



if ^ 



Figure 103. Ptilidium ciliare. a. I^eaf X 

 37. b. Plant with perianth and young capsule 

 X iJ. c. Portion of plant X 5- 



BLEPHAROSTOMA. 



B. TRICHOPHYLLUM (L.) Dum. is a third species with leaves 

 divided into hair-like divisions. It is the tiniest of them all and 

 looks more like a beautiful green alga than an hepatic. With 

 the hand-lens the illustration will do more to help recognize it 

 than volumes of description. It is very common on moist earth, 

 stones and decaying wood and usually grows so far apart that 

 the stems appear separate instead of forming mats. The spores 

 mature in early spring, but the perianths are well formed in 

 August. 



