BRYUM. 33T 



rather long entire or denticulate point ; cells much as in B.. 

 pallescens, but with the marginal ones hardly forming a distinct 

 border, although narrower and longer than the median ones. 

 Capsule brown, i| lines long, sub-pendulous, shortly clavate or 

 narrowly elliptic -py rif or m, often a little gibbous on the back and 

 incurved, neck rather quickly passing into the seta, mouth 

 small, lid conical, obtuse or acuminate, persistent ; peristome 

 small, pale, the teeth incurved when dry. Synoicous. 



Hab. Wet ground and damp shady walls. Common. Fr. summer and. 

 autumn. 



The leaves of this moss much resemble those of B. ctzspiticium and other allied 

 species, but it fruits abundantly, and may be recognised without great difficulty by the 

 synoicous inflorescence and the form of the capsule, which is more pendulous than in 

 B. ccespiticium, B. affine, and B. pallescens, not recurved, but incurved when 

 asymmetrical, and with a distinctly smaller mouth and less conspicuous peristome. 

 The lid also is much more persistent, often remaining in its place for months after the 

 capsule is matured. The time of fruiting is also a distinguishing character, the cap- 

 sules not ripening until considerably later than in the allied species, and then being 

 produced in succession for several months, so that they may be found in various 

 stages of maturity in a single tuft. The leaves also want the defined border 

 characteristic of most of the species, but the marginal cells are distinctly narrower,, 

 and as the leaf-margin is usually strongly recurved it is not always very easy to verify 

 this character. It prefers moister situations than B. ccespiticium. 



19. Bryum csespiticium L. (Tab. XLIV. I.). 



Densely tufted, about I inch high, pale bright silky green ; 

 stems slender, often with very slender innovations. Leaves- 

 rather small, uppermost forming a crowded coma, oblong- 

 lanceolate, usually widest below the middle, narrowly acuminate, 

 imbricated and hardly twisted when dry, margin revolute to near 

 the summit, almost entire, nerve excurrent in a long arista ; cells 

 rather firm and narrow, the marginal ones very narrow, but 

 usually hardly forming a distinct border, especially at the apex. 

 Capsule oblong-pyriform or clavate, i£ lines long or slightly 

 longer, frequently gibbous below and recurved upwards from the 

 neck, brown, wide-mouthed, horizontal or inclined, sometimes- 

 ventricose with a smaller mouth, lid orange, mamillate or conical 

 and apiculate, not persistent ; peristome rather large, pale. 

 Dioicous. 



Var. /?. imbricatum (var. Kunzei Braithw., Br. M. Fl. ;: 

 B. Kunzei Hornsch.). Very compact; leaves sub-equal, 

 imbricated so as to render the branches julaceous, wider, ovate- 

 oblong, more suddenly acuminate. 



Var. y. badium Brid. (B. badium Bruch, Schp. Syn.).. 

 More slender ; bright green or reddish; leaves narrower, more 



