FONTINALEI. 63 



On stones and wood in streams or in stagnant pools, in 

 flat or mountainous countries. Common. Bearing fruit in 

 summer. 



Stems triquetrous, from several inches to one or two feet in 

 length, purplish, leafy above; leaves ovate, pointed, entire, or 

 obscurely toothed, nerveless, strongly keeled and complicated, 

 so as to be triquetrous, dark green when old ; occasionally there 

 are two or three fine projecting filiform processes toward the 

 tip instead of the obscure teeth; sporangia immersed amongst 

 the obtuse perichsetial leaves, almost sessile ; peristome bright 

 red, presenting a beautiful object under the microscope. As 

 the leaves are often split along the keel, care nnist be taken 

 not to confound this with the following species. Two distinct 

 varieties occur, the one with "more slender, fasciculate, not 

 spreading branches, and less complicated leaves," the other 

 with "wide spreading, broad, flaccid, and transparent leaves." 



The plant derives its specific name from its being used in 

 the North of Europe as a stuffing between the wooden walls 

 of huts and the chimney, in consequence of its not being easily 

 inflammable. It is also sometimes used in the same districts, 

 boiled in small beer, as a foot-bath in some pectoral complaints. 



2. F. squamosa, Bill. ; branches fasciculate, naked at the 

 base ; leaves more or less lanceolate, concave. — Hook. &; Wils. 

 tab. xxii. ; Eng. Bot. t. 1861 ; (Plate 3, fig. 1 ;) Moug. et Nest. 

 n. 430. 



In alpine rivulets often mixed with F. antipyretica. Not 

 uncommon, but generally barren. When fertile, bearing fruit 

 in summer. 



A smaller plant than the last, darker, and with shorter 

 stems, whose branches are more inclined to be fasciculate. 

 The leaves moreover are not keeled, nor is their margin bent 

 back. It must not be confounded with specimens of the last, 



