60 DICRANACE^E. 



when dry, from an elongate lanceolate base narrowed to a long 

 fine subula, nerve flattened and indistinct at base, excurrent, 

 denticulate at apex ; margin plane, incurved above, cells at base 

 irregularly rectangular, rounded-quadrate towards margin, towards 

 the nerve longer, narrowly rectangular ; in the upper part of 

 the leaf oval and rounded ; one or two rows at the margin of the 

 expanded part are sometimes very narrow and hyaline. Capsule 

 erect, reddish brown, ovate or elliptic, small ; annulus broad ; lid 

 rostellate ; peristome teeth fragile, unequal. Dioicous ; male 

 plants rare, slender ; bracts ovate, subulate. 



Var. /3. densum. Braithw. (Trichostomum flexicaule var. 

 densum B. & S., Leptotrich. flexicaule var. densum Schp. Syn.) 

 Densely tufted, bright or brownish green, stems straight, shorter, 

 1-2 inches high ; leaves erect, short, less flexuose. 



Hab. Limestone rocks and earth ; frequent. The var. j8. less common, usually 

 in more mountainous districts. The fruit has not been found in Britain. Fr. summer. 



Quite distinct in its much greater size, longer leaves, and shortly oval upper 

 cells. It has more resemblance to Dicranodontium longirostre than to any other 

 moss, but is easily recognised by the absence of inflated auricles at base. 



12. SWARTZIA Ehrh. 

 (Distichium B. & S., Schp. Syn. et plur. auct.) 



Plants in dense silky tufts, slender. Leaves distichous, 

 subulate, sheathing at base, smooth ; areolation narrow. Capsule 

 ovate or cylindric, lid conical. Peristome of 16 teeth not con- 

 fluent at base, linear-lanceolate, more or less cleft into unequal, 

 slightly coherent divisions, or variously perforated, sometimes 

 entire. 



The distichous leaves are the marked characteristic of this 

 genus, which otherwise much resembles the last. The name 

 Distichium by which it has been usually described was forestalled 

 by Distichia Nees (1843), a genus of Juncaceae. 



/Plant 1-6 inches, glossy; capsule oblong or cylindric, erect 1. montana 



\Plant i-l inch, dull-green ; capsule rounded-ovate, inclined 2. inclinata 



1. Swartzia montana Lindb. (Bryum montanum Lamarck ; 



Distichium capillaceum B. & S., Schp. Syn. et plur. auct.) 



(Tab. XIII. B.) 



In dense silky bright or dark green glossy tufts, very slender, 

 1-6 inches high, stems radiculose, straight. Leaves from a white 

 sheathing oval-oblong base, abruptly narrowed above and 



