ToRTULACEvE.] 233 [MolUa. 



In this little moss we have the first departure from the cleistocarpous 

 state, where the operculum is organically united with the capsule wall, for 

 although in M. crispa the lid does not fall off, a very slight lateral pressure 

 when moist is sufficient to remove it. The large perich. bracts are charac- 

 teristic of this and the next two species. 



2. MOLLIA MULTICAPSULARIS (S«.) 



Autoicous ; laxly tufted, tall, ascending. Leaves distant, spreading, 

 recurved, lanceolate, with plane margins ; perich. long, slender, erect. 

 Caps, roundish ovate, immersed, rostellate. (T. XXXIII, F.) 



Syn. — Phascttm sphmrocarpon Abbot F1. Bedf. 230 {1798). 

 Phascum crispum Smith Eng. Bot. t. 618 (1799)- 

 Phascum multicapsulare Smith F1. brit. iii, 1152 (1804). Brid. Sp. muse. I, 10 (1806), 



Mant. 10 (1819), Bry. univ. i, 48 (1826). La Pyl. Journ. Bot. 1813, p. 281. WiLS. 



Bry. brit. 37, t. 37 (1855). 



Phascttm crispum j8. multicapsulare Hook. Tayl. Muse. Brit. 6 {1818). 



Astomum mullicapsulare Schimp. Bry. eur. fasc. 43, t. 3 {1850). Jaeg. Bar. St. Gall. nat. 



gesells. i86g, p. 70. 

 Weissia multicapsularis Mitt, in Ann. mag. n. h. 2 ser. viii, 317 (1851). Lindb. de Tort. 



230 (1864). 



Weissia convolutacea Mitt. MSS. (Perieh. bracts convolute at base). 



Systegimn mnlticapsulare Schimp. Synops. 33 (i85o). Berk. Handb. br. m. 297 {1863). 

 HusN. Mouss. nord-ouest 38 (1873), Muse. gall. 5, t. i (1884). 



Autoicous ; laxly tufted or gregarious, dingy green. Stems i — i in. 



high, from a procunbent base, erect, simple or dichotomous, with 



flexuose, small leaved innovations. Stem-leaves distant, patulous, 



recurved from the middle, flexuose, flaccid, oblongo- and elongato- 



lanceolate, apiculate, margin plane, comal leaves and perich. bracts 



much longer, incurved and slightly crisped when dry, erect, lineal-lane. 



plane, channelled in the middle, lurid green, nerve dilated at base, 



semiterete above, vanishing in apex or slightly excurrent. Caps. 



immersed ovato-elliptic, lid subobliquely rostellate. Male infl. terminal 



on a branch, gemmiform. 



Hab. — Clay fields and bare ground ; rare. Fr. 3. 



Clapham park wood and Ampthill, Bedford (Abbott 1798). Appleton, Cheshire [Wilson 

 1836) ! ! Darlington {Backhouse). Hurstpierpoint (Mitten) ! Railway bank at Ashley 

 (Hunt 1870) ! Leckhampton hill, Chelmsford. Sutton park, Warwick (Bagnall 1877) I I 



Differs from crispa by its size and dingy colour, the perich. bracts broader 

 and longer, straight, lanceolate, less crisped when dry, more suddenly subulate 

 from a dilated base ; occasionally two capsules are found in one perichaetium, 

 but the specific name is certainly not an apt one. 



The plant has the shabby dirty look, often seen in Archidium. 



3. MOLLIA MITTENII {Br. Sch.) Braithw. 



Autoicous and polygamous, taller. Leaves broadly lane, recurved, 

 more rigid, nerve vanishing at apex, perich. bracts lanceolate, shorter, 

 divergent. Caps, ovate. (T. XXXIII, G.) 



