304 HANDBOOK OF BRITISH MOSSES. 



117. EPHEMERTTM, Hampe. 



Prothallus persistent ; sporangium immersed, confluent 

 with the lid ; veil mitriform ; spores large ; leaf-cells large, 

 hyaline, rhomboido-hexagonal. 



1 . E. serratum, Mull. ; leaves lanceolate, toothed ; nerve 

 less connivent; sporangium subsessile, subglobose. — Hook, fy 

 Wils. t. v. ; Eng. Bot. t. 460, 2106. ; {Moug. 8f Nest. n. 803.) 



On the naked soil, whether sandy or argillaceous. Bearing 

 fruit in winter and early spring. 



Monoicous; prothallus dense. Stem scarcely any; leaves 

 suberect, sharply toothed or almost spinulose, sometimes linear- 

 lanceolate and obscurely toothed, hyaline; spores yellow; 

 leaf-cells much elongated. 



2. E. eohserens, Mull.; leaves ovato-lanceolate, erect, 

 keeled; nerve reaching to the tip; sporangium immersed, 

 subsessile. — Hook, fy Wils. t. xxxvii. 



On the ground. Hurstpierpoint, Sussex, Mr. Mitten. 

 Bearing fruit in winter. 



Prothallus abundant. Leaves sometimes nerveless, toothed 

 above, the lower ones nearly nerveless ; sporangium subsphe- 

 rical, pale; veil mitriform, covering a third part of the spo- 

 rangium. 



3. E. sessile, Br. fy Schimp. ; leaves rather rigid, suberect 

 or subsecund, linear-lanceolate, narrow, mostly toothed above ; 

 nerve excurrent ; sporangium sessile, immersed, small, round- 

 ish. — Hook. If Wils. t. xxxvii. ; Eng. Bot. t. 2829. 



On clayey or chalky soil. Sussex and Cheshire. Bearing 

 fruit in autumn and winter. 



Monoicous; prothallus abundant. Nerve predominant 

 above; leaf-cells not so elongated as in E. serratum and smaller; 

 veil mitriform. 



