44 POLYTRICHACE/E. 



when moist, erect when dry, long, lanceolate from an oblong base 

 as in P. piliferum, the wings inflexed, but not so nearly meeting 

 as in that species, entire; nerve excurrent in a shorter, red, 

 dentate arista, strongly toothed at back of apex and often half- 

 way down the limb. Lamellae 35-40, in section nearly as in the 

 above species. Perichaetial bracts longer than the leaves, and 

 with a longer arista, white and membranous at edges. Calyptra 

 large. Capsule on a longer, bright red, shining seta, i\-2\ inches 

 high ; larger, tetragonal-oblong, with sharp angles, lid deep red, 

 beak short ; apophysis short, less distinct. Male plants more 

 slender, with shorter leaves. 



Hab. Heaths and waste places ; common. Fr. summer. 



An alpine form (var. alpinum B. & S. , Pol. boreale Kindb. ), is shorter and more 

 stunted in all its parts, with longer hair points to the leaves, the tip sometimes 

 hyaline. 



The calyptra in this species is often very pale, sometimes almost white. 



*Polytrichum strictum Banks. (Tab. XI. C.) 



Differs from P .juniperinum in the taller, more slender stems, 

 sometimes nearly a foot high, covered for a great part of their 

 length with dirty white tomentum, densely tufted, slightly 

 branched. Leaves erecto-patent, shorter, narrower, straight; 

 erect, closely and regularly imbricated when dry ; lamellae 

 fewer, 25-30. Capsule smaller, cubic or very shortly rectangular ; 

 calyptra small. 



Hab. Boggy heaths ; not common. 



The characters which separate this plant from P. juniperinum, though chiefly 

 comparative, and insufficient to justify giving it specific rank, are fairly stable, and it 

 seems to fill its right place as a sub-species. The habitat, among other points, is 

 quite different ; it is not unfrequently found mixed with Sphagnum. The very 

 slender, terete stems, with short, regularly-imbricated leaves, are, in the dry state 

 especially, very noticeable. 



8. Polytrichum gracile Dicks. (Tab. X. F.). 



Densely tufted, dark green ; stems 1-4 inches high, matted 

 together below with whitish, radicular tomentum, simple or 

 slightly divided, leafless below, the fertile stems with the leaves 

 crowded above into an oblong tuft. Leaves erecto-patent, some- 

 what flexuose or curled when dry, short, the upper 4-5 lines long, 

 the limb lanceolate, gradually narrowed to a sharp acumen' 



