TIMMIA. 283: 



Order XVI. TIMMIACE^E. 



Tall, robust mosses, resembling Polytrichum in habit ; stems 

 very slightly branched. Leaves long, narrow, serrate. Capsule 

 symmetrical , elliptical-oblong, with a tapering neck, inclined or 

 horizontal, hardly striate, but furrowed when dry. Peristome 

 double, outer as in Bryum, with dense articulations, inner with a 

 basal membrane as in that genus, giving rise to cilia only, in twos 

 or fours, opposite to the teeth, frequently appendiculate and 

 sometimes united with one another. 



66. TIMMIA Hedw. 



Characters those of the Order. 



The plants of this genus are very striking in their habit, 

 which very greatly resembles that of Polytrichum, and the leaves, 

 excepting in the narrower nerve and absence of lamellae, show a 

 remarkable similarity to those of that genus both in form and 

 structure. Besides the two British species there are two others 

 known on the continent, one of which, T megapolitana Hedw., 

 has been recorded, apparently erroneously, from Ben Lawers. It 

 differs from T. austriaca in the less sheathing, whitish leaf base, 

 the nerve not dentate at back above, and the cilia of the inner 

 peristome appendiculate. 



/Leaves uniform, wide and sheathing at base, red at insertion i\ austriaca 



\Upper Is. much longer, scarcely sheathing, hyaline at insertion 2. norvegica 



1. Timmia austriaca Hedw. (Tab. XXXIX. G.). 



Robust, 2-4 inches high, in dense tufts, yellowish-green above, 

 darker below, somewhat radiculose. Leaves large, sub-equal, 

 2-3 lines long, erecto-patent, appressed and twisted when dry ; 

 from a wide, oblong, sheathing, orange base suddenly contracted, 

 then longly linear-lanceolate, tapering to a somewhat obtuse point, 

 more or less concave or sub-tubular, margin plane or erect, serrate 

 in the upper half, coarsely so near apex ; nerve strong, often 

 reddish, reaching apex, smooth or slightly dentate at back towards- 

 apex, not papillose. Cells of base orange, narrowly rectangular, 

 pellucid, above very small, subquadrate-rounded, slightly 

 incrassate, sometimes papillose. Capsule with the neck elongate- 

 clavate, reddish-brown, lid hemispherical, apiculate ; calyptra 

 small, cucullate; peristome teeth pale yellow, cilia of the inner 

 peristome not appendiculate. Dioicous. 



