EURHYNCHIUM. 425 



14. Eurhynchium striatum B. & S. (Hypnum striatum 



Schreb.) (Tab. LIV. J.). 



Robust, in large masses, deep green or yellowish, glossy ; 

 stems rigid, arched or procumbent, 3-6 inches long, divided, with 

 numerous, more or less pinnate, erect or ascending branches, 

 which are robust and obtuse, with crowded leaves, or more 

 slender and attenuated, with the leaves more spreading. Leaves 

 rigid, large, %-i line long, usually much spreading both wet 

 and dry, sometimes erecto-patent and imbricated when dry, but 

 scarcely erect or appressed, deeply striate with straight plicae 

 when moist and especially when dry, glossy, widely cordate- 

 triangular, gradually tapering to an acute but not attenuated 

 point ; branch-leaves narrower, triangular, more longly but 

 widely acuminate ; all, at the base, from a narrow, slightly 

 decurrent insertion, widely cordate and auriculate, sharply 

 serrate all round, margin slightly recurved at the base only, 

 nerve rather strong, reaching about f the length of the leaf; 

 areolation linear, sub-vermicular, 8-15 times as long as wide, with 

 firm walls, obtuse; rather shorter at apex, at mid-base scarcely 

 altered; cells at angles wide, oval-rectangular, few, rather 

 large, more or less pellucid, forming small, not very distinct 

 auricles. .Seta long, 1-1^ inches, stout; capsule large, chestnut 

 brown, oblong-cylindrical, arcuate ; lid longly subulate-rostrate ; 

 annulus broad, of 3 rows of cells. Dioicous, or occasionally with 

 the male flowers attached by radicles to the fertile plant. 



Hae. On the ground, rocks, etc., in woods. Common. Fr. late autumn. 



K. striatum is a very distinct species ; the triangular leaves, strongly and 

 regularly plicate when dry, and very rigid and regularly imbricated all round the 

 branches, give it a marked appearance of its own. It is, perhaps, most like 

 Hylocomium brevirostre in habit, but that plant will at once be recognised by the 

 numerous paraphyllia and the abrupt, fine acumen of the leaf; in the present plant the 

 point is always wide, often so much so that to the eye the leaf appears obtuse. It also 

 somewhat resembles robust forms of Brackythecium rutabulum, but the leaves are, on 

 examination, of a quite different shape, strongly and regularly striate, and the areola- 

 tion, smooth seta, and longly rostrate lid are of course conclusive. The differences 

 between this and the following species are given below. 



15. Eurhynchium striatulum B. & S. (Hypnum striatulum 



Spruce). (Tab. LIV. L.). 



Primary stem creeping, secondary divisions erect or ascend- 

 ing, more or less dendroid, the branches being somewhat 

 fasciculate towards their summits, more or less arcuate and 

 pointing in the same direction, as in E. myosuroides ; much more 

 slender than in the last species, dark or olive green ; stems about 



