CRYPH^A. 359 



The capsules are usually produced in abundance, and the plant is then recognised 

 at a glance ; the unilateral, immersed fruit resembling that of no other of our 

 pleurocarpous mosses ; the aquatic form (var. /3) somewhat resembles Fontinalis in 

 habit, but is of course very different in the leaf. 



The fertile branches are erect, stout, and rigid, and few, compared with the 

 short, slender, barren branches, which are somewhat numerously produced, and it is 

 this somewhat specialised form of the fruiting branches which gives the plant its 

 characteristic appearance when fertile. 



Order XXI. NECKERACE.E. 



Primary stems creeping, secondary erect, horizontal, or 

 pendulous, pinnately and bipinnately branched. Leaves com- 

 planate, ovate-lanceolate or Ungulate, obtuse or apiculate, nerve- 

 less or thinly nerved, sparingly chlorophyllose, areolation small, 

 rhomboid or linear. Vaginula distinct. Calyptra cucullate, 

 glabrous or hairy. Capsule immersed or emergent, rarely 

 exserted on a short seta, erect, symmetrical, peristome simple or 

 double. 



A natural group of mosses, readily known by their thin and 

 scariose, complanate (apparently but usually not really distichous) 

 leaves with short rhomboidal areolation and erect, symmetrical, 

 often immersed capsules. Hookeria and Pterygophyllum differ 

 in the lax areolation and inclined capsules, Plagiothecium in the 

 usually more chlorophyllose leaves of different texture, longly 

 exserted and curved capsules, more perfect inner peristome, and 

 irregular, not pinnate, branching. 



82. NEOKERA Hedw. 



Growing on trunks of trees or rocks. Secondary stems 

 pinnately or bipinnately branched ; branches complanate, often 

 flagelliform. Leaves complanate, smooth or transversely undulate, 

 rounded at apex or suddenly acuminate or apiculate ; upper cells 

 rhomboid or linear, smooth. Nerve (in the British species) very 

 short or wanting. Capsule immersed or exserted, erect and 

 symmetrical; calyptra cucullate. Peristome double; inner a 

 very short basal membrane with 16 often short processes, without 

 intermediate cilia. Autoicous or dioicous. 



/Leaves not undulate 4- comtlanata 



'XLeaves more or less undulate transversely 2 



/Capsule immersed ; Is. scarcely undulate when moist j. pennata 



2 \Capsule exserted ; Is. distinctly undulate, wet or dry 3 



/Robust; Is. 1-2 lines long, rather bluntly pointed 2. crtspa 



3\Small ; Is. under I line long, often acuminate .3. pumila 



