HYPNUM. 491 



base, narrowing upwards to a broad, rounded, obtuse, concave- 

 cucullate apex ; branch-leaves narrower, more divergent or 

 spreading, oblong-lanceolate, somewhat pointed ; all entire, 

 nerveless or with two very short, faint nerves ; areolation very 

 dense and narrow, the cells linear-vermicular, very narrow, 15-20 

 times as long as broad, almost uniform throughout the leaf ; at 

 basal angles suddenly expanded, very large, hexagonal, thin- 

 walled, hyaline or orange, inflated, forming very clearly defined, 

 large, decurrent auricles. Seta very long, i£-2£ inches ; capsule 

 large, sub-cylindric, strongly arcuate. Dioicous. 



Var. ji. pungens Schp. More slender, softer, elongated. 

 Branches strongly arcuate, terete, with the leaves all erect and 

 convolute. 



Var. y. csespitosum Whitehead MS. n. var. Short, densely 

 tufted; leaves all narrow, somewhat tapering and pointed, 

 erecto-patent, not convolute at tips of stems. 



Hab. Wet meadows, marshes, etc., very common. The var. $ rare. The var. 

 ■y, Monk's Dale, Derby (Barker, 1888). Fr. summer. 



A very common and easily known species, almost always marked by its cuspidate 

 stems and branches, or in any case by the leaves, which resemble those of none of our 

 other species in structure but H. Schreberi and Cylindrotkecium concinnum, both of 

 which differ in habit, especially the former ; both, too, having very different, not or 

 less decurrent angular cells. 



H. cuspidatum is often submerged, and then frequently becomes elegantly 

 plumose, with regularly pinnate branches and narrow, strongly divergent leaves. 



The var. ccespitosum described above seems sufficiently marked, even in so- 

 variable a plant, to deserve a varietal name. The dense habit and the leaves, 

 uniformly erecto-patent, neither squarrose below nor convolute above, all narrow and 

 pointed, give the plant a very distinct habit. 



40. Hypnum Schreberi Willd. (Hylocomium parietinum 

 Lindb.) (Tab. LX. C). 



Stems erect, rigid, bright red, simple or divided, with rather 

 close, irregularly pinnate branches, frequently crowded near the top 

 of the stem, which is thus somewhat dendroid ; in large deep tufts 

 of a very glossy pale or yellowish green. Branches more or less 

 curved ; terete, julaceous or obtuse, or more commonly slender 

 and attenuated. Leaves close, imbricated, more or less erect and 

 sheathing, very glossy, lightly plicate, especially when dry, 

 scariose; about 1 line long, widely oval-oblong or elliptic, very 

 concave, rounded and obtuse at apex with the margins incurved ; 

 contracted and narrower, but angular and not rounded at 

 insertion ; entire or with a few minute crenulattons at tip ; 

 branch-leaves much narrower, oblong, more pointed. Nerve 



