178 HANDBOOK OF BRITISH MOSSES. 



On the naked soil, especially where burnt. Extremely 

 common, and found in most parts of the world. Bearing fruit 

 through the summer months till winter. 



Monoicous; gregarious; forming wide patches. Lower leaves 

 distant, upper connivent, very concave, entire ; lid plano-con- 

 vex; the cells arranged spirally, the spiral lines meeting in 

 the centre like the lines in a rose-engined watch-case ; border 

 consisting of a single row of straight cells ; ring externally 

 yellow, internally red; teeth disposed spirally, red below, 

 nearly white at the tips, with transverse processes which, 

 together with the tips, unite to form a network ; inner peri- 

 stome yellow, divided into sixteen teeth, opposite to those 

 of the outer peristome, between each pair of which there 

 is a little red, elongated, triangular spot ; spores small, nearly 

 even. 



Male flower discoid. Paraph yses moniliform ; upper joints 

 swollen, with distinct grains of chlorophyll. 



There is a variety with a slender branched stem, and spread- 

 ing terminal leaves, and another with a straighter fruitstalk. 



Obdee XVI. MEESIEI, Br. & Schimp. 



Sporangium irregularly obovate or obconic, suberect, taper- 

 ing below into a very long fruitstalk, gibbous at the back ; 

 peristome double, not hygroscopic. Mosses inhabiting marshes, 

 with very long fruitstalks. 



48. AMBLYODON, P. Beauv. 

 Sporangium clavate or subpyriform, incurved, suberect; 

 mouth small and oblique; veil at first conico-mitriform, at 

 length split on one side ; peristome double, outer of sixteen 

 short teeth, inner longer, deeply divided into sixteen keeled 

 teeth, without intermediate cilia. 



