78 FLOWERLESS PLANTS 



classed under the name Gather ina. The Wavy 

 Hair Moss (C. undulata) is very plentiful in 

 moist woods, and may be quite readily distin- 

 guished when in fruit, as it usually is through- 

 out the late autumn and winter, by the long 

 curved spore cases. Each of these has a curi- 

 ous beak-like lid which is not infrequently as 

 long as the case itself. The Bristle-leaved Hair 

 Moss {Polytrichum piliferum) is common on 

 heathy land, and is notable for the sharp, 

 hair-like points at the ends of its leaves and 

 its oblong spore cases. In this plant the 

 male " flowers " are generally of a bright 

 orange colour. 



The majority of the mosses which have 

 been described bear their spore cases at the 

 ends of the shoots. There are a large number 

 of species which are side-fruiting in habit. 



In woods and on damp shady banks we 

 shall almost certainly meet with the very beau- 

 tiful Feather Mosses. One of the commonest 

 and most attractive of these is the species 

 which has been called Hylocommm splendens, 

 and the distinguishing feature of this plant is 

 the manner in which the foliage is produced, 

 so that it appears to resemble the fronds of 



