BRYUM. 333; 



21. Bryum capillars L. (Tab. XLV. A.). 



Loosely or densely tufted, soft, deep green, reddish below, 

 £-2 inches high, with numerous branches. Leaves loosely or 

 densely set, the comal not very distinct, when dry usually strongly 

 spirally twisted round the stem, with the points flexuose ; some- 

 times, especially in the laxer forms, not spirally twisted but 

 variously spreading or incumbent ; soft in texture, much shrink- 

 ing when dry ; wide, obovate-spathulate, variable in length, plane 

 or concave, shortly acuminate and rather suddenly cuspidate or 

 piliferous with the longly excurrent often reflexed nerve, which 

 is broad below ; margin entire or finely toothed, variously 

 recurved ; cells rhomboid-hexagonal, short and rather wide, 

 thin-walled, the marginal in several rows very narrow, forming a 

 distinct but not thickened border. Seta long, capsule large, long 

 (about 2 lines), sub-cylindrical with a distinct neck of almost 

 equal length, horizontal or inclined, hardly contracted below the 

 wide mouth when dry, symmetrical or rarely slightly curved, 

 bright brown or deep brownish red, the mouth deep red and 

 glossy, lid orange-red, conical-apiculate ; peristome large, reddish 

 at base, pale above. Dioicous ; rarely autoicous ; the var. ji 

 synoicous. 



Var. /3. torquescens Husn. (B. torquescens B. & S., plur. 

 auct.). Inflorescence synoicous. Capsule deep reddish brown. 



Var. y. macrocarpum Hiibn. Robust, densely tufted ; capsule 

 large, long, deeper in colour. 



Var. 8. rosulatum Mitt. Very short. Leaves crowded in 

 terminal rosettes, quite entire, often twisted and recurved at apex, 

 nerve vanishing considerably below the summit, leaf-border 

 narrow. 



Var. e. flaccidum B. & S. Stems short with slender branches. 

 Leaves soft, narrow, spreading, shrinking when dry but not 

 appressed nor spirally twisted, distant, more distinctly toothed. 



Var. f. Ferchelii B. & S. (B. Ferchelii Funck). Densely 

 tufted, branches slender, dull green ; leaves small, subequal, very 

 concave, cymbiform, rounded-obovate , suddenly pointed with the 

 flexuose, sub-piliform nerve; imbricated, hardly twisted when 

 dry. Capsule smaller. 



Hab. Walls, rocks, tree trunks, etc. Abundant. The var. torquescens rare, 

 chiefly in the south ; var. macrocarpum the common form in moist subalpine districts ; 

 var. rosulatum, Sussex (Mitten) ; var. flaccidum rare, in moist, sheltered situations j- 

 var. Ferchelii, Killin (Hunt) ; Buxton (Barker) ; Litton Dale, Derbyshire ( White- 

 head). Fr. summer. 



