276 FUNARIACEjE. 



Seta erect, reddish, rigid ; capsule shortly pyriform, gibbous at 

 back, slightly curved, with a tapering neck, brownish yellow, 

 finally reddish and slightly contracted below the mouth, smooth ; 

 neck somewhat plicate when dry; annulus none; lid conical- 

 convex, slightly mamillate ; peristome double, outer of it 

 narrowly lanceolate, red, obliquely curved teeth, ■ inner of ic 

 processes shorter than the teeth. 



Var. /?. patula B. & S. Taller and more slender ; leaves 

 entire, with shorter points. 



Hab. Calcareous rocks and walls, rare. The var. j8 with the type. Fr. 

 spring. 



A somewhat variable moss in the serration of the leaves and other points. It 

 diners from the following in the almost piliferous leaf-point, the straight, erect seta, 

 the smooth capsule with straight, not oblique mouth, below which the capsule is con- 

 stricted, though slightly ; in the more pointed lid and narrower peristome teeth, and 

 especially in the absence of annulus. 



5- Punaria hygrometrica Sibth. (Mnium hygrometricum 

 L.) (Tab. XXXVIII. H.). 



Stems about £ inch in height, loosely or closely tufted, in 

 large patches, pale or yellowish green. Upper leaves imbricated 

 into a bulbiform tuft, concave, large, widely oval-oblong, shortly 

 pointed, entire or nearly so, nerved to apex ; cells sub-hexagonal, 

 a little narrower at margin. Seta long, (1-2%. inches), flexuose, 

 variously arcuate when young, finally reddish, flexuose, strongly 

 twisted and hygroscopic when dry ; capsule pyriform, unequal r 

 gibbous at back, inclined, strongly incurved at mouth, deeply 

 sulcate when dry, yellow, the mouth deep red ; finally brown ; 

 annulus broad ; lid convex, large. Peristome teeth closely and 

 obliquely arranged in a spiral turn, the apices united by a small 

 disc ; processes shorter than the teeth. Spores rather small, 

 about 15 /*. Autoicous, male flower discoid, with spreading 

 bracts. 



Var. (3. calvescens B. & S. (F. calvescens Schwgr.). Leaves 

 spreading, flexuose at margin, longer; seta very long, capsule 

 more erect. 



Hab. Heaths, banks, &c, especially where the ground has been burnt. 

 Common. The var. in more shady situations. Fr. all summer. 



This common and well-known moss is very variable, but never presents any 

 difficulty in its recognition except with regard to the two allied species, F. calcarea 

 and F. microstoma. The former is easily known as pointed out above ; the latter 

 differs in the narrow mouth, and rudimentary inner peristome. The lid also is more 

 conical, but F. kygrometrica is occasionally found with projecting, conical lid. 



The mouth is remarkably oblique, often becoming almost parallel with the wall 

 of the capsule. The lid, peristome, &c, afford beautiful microscopic objects. 



