TOR 



T. muraiis. Wall Screw-mofs. Hedw. Sp. Mufc. 123. 

 Fl. Brit. n. 9. Engl. Bot. t. 2033. Bn.'um murale ; 

 Lina. Sp. PI. 1581. B. tegulare humile, pilofuin et in- 

 canum; Dill. Mufc. 355. t. 45. f. 14.) — Stem moftly 

 iiaiple, very fhort. Leaves ovate, acute, hair-pointed. 

 Capfule cylindrical, (lightly elliptical. Lid conical — This 

 is perhaps the mod univerfal of all moffes throughout Eu- 

 rope. Every wall and bank is covered with it, and the 

 abundant capfiiles, produced in winter and fpring, remain 

 in a dry and empty ftate almoft throughout the year. The 

 roots are perennial. Stems very (hort, though fometimes 

 divided, compoiing broad dark-green patches, not denfe 

 elevated tufts, and rendered hoary by the terminal white 

 hairs of the laves. Thefe hairs, however, vary in length, 

 and are fometimes fcarcely difcemible. Frmt-fialk terminal, 

 ftraight, reddifti-brown, near an inch high. Old capfule a 

 little curved when the fringe falls off. The latter is not fo 

 much twifted as in moft other fpecies, the teeth, all feparate 

 and parallel, making hardly more than one turn. Lid red, 

 not half fo long as the capfule, (lightly oblique. Veil as 

 long as both together, (lender, brownifh. 



T. cuneifolia. Wedge-lhaped Screw-mofs. Fl. Brit. 

 n. 10. Engl. Bot. t. 15 10. (Bryum cuneifolium ; Dickf. 

 Crypt, fafc. 3. 7. B. murale fJ; Hudf. 477. B. humile, 

 pilis carens, viride et pellucidum ; Dill. Mufc. 356. t. 45. 

 f. 15.) — Stem very fnort, moiUy fimple. Leaves obovate, 

 reticulated, pellucid, (lightly pointed. Capfule cyhndrical. 



Lid conical Found on banks and fandy ground, at 



Streatham, Surrey, and abundantly about Oxford, accord- 

 ing to Dillenius. Mr. D. Turner gathered the fpecimens 

 figured in Engl. Bot. on fome old banks at Hopton, near 

 Yarmouth. This mofs is faid to be biennial, bearing cap- 

 fules in the early fpring, and compofing broad indeterminate 

 patches. When carefully examined, it cannot be con- 

 founded with any variety of the laft. The haves are of a 

 brighter green, ftrongly reticulated, pointlefs. Capfule 

 more o^tJ, with a longer, more awl-(haped, lid ; its fringe 

 bright red, or crimfon, repeatedly and clofely t«-iiled to- 

 gether, which alone would diftingui(h this fpecies from the 

 preceding. 



T. tortuofa. Frizzled Mountain Screw-mofs. Hedw. 

 Sp. Mufc. 124. Fl. Brit. n. 12. Engl. Bot. t. 1708. 

 (Bryum tortuofum ; Linn. Sp. PI. 1583. Dickf. Dr. PI. 

 48. B. cirratum, fetis et capfulis longioribus ; Dill. Mufc. 

 377. t. 48. f. 40. ) — Stem branched, level-topped. Leaves 

 finear inclining to lanceolate, keelad ; twifted and undulated 

 when dry. Capfule cylindrical, (lightly ovate. Fringe lax — 

 Plentiful on the mountains of Wales, Scotland, and the north 

 of England, Derby(hire, Sec. as well as in Sweden, Switzer- 

 land, Germany, Italy, and, according to Dillenius, in Vir- 

 ginia. It bears capfules in fummer, but not verj- conftantly. 

 A large and handfome fpecies, whofe flems, from two to 

 four inches high, compofe broad and foft tufts, of a moft 

 beautiful green, the leaves being long and taper, frizzled 

 when dry, efpecially at the rough, or minutely crenate, 

 edges. Fru'u-flalks an inch and a half or two inches high, 

 bright crimfon ; pale yellow at the fumrait. Capfule in- 

 clining, (lender, fmooth, light brown, cnmfon at the mouth ; 

 finally ere A. /./</ taper, half as long as the capfule. Fringe 

 long, crimfon, gradually unrolled, and partly fpreading or 

 ftraight, approaching the character of a Trichostomum. 

 See that article hereafter. 



T. harhata. Bearded Lateral Screw-mofs. Fl. Brit, 

 n. 14. Engl. Bot. t. 2391. (Bryum barbatum ; Curt. 

 Lond. fafc. 4. t. 65. B. unguicuhtum et barbatum, te- 

 nuius et ftellatum ; Dill. Mufc. 384. t. 48. f. 48.)— Stena 



TOR 



branched from the bafe. Leaves eUiptic-lanceolate, fpread- 

 ing, fomewhat revolute. Fruit-ftalks lateral. Capfule 

 ovate. — Native of walls and barren heaths, in tTie winter and 

 fpring, faid to be not unfrequent about London, particularly 

 at Charlton, where neverthelefs we have many a time fought 

 it in vain. Mr. Hudfon is reported to have confounded 

 this fpecies with T. con-ooluta, or perhaps nervcfa. above de- 

 fcribed, though certainly none of the genus car. be more 

 e(rentially unlike. The ^ems are level-topped, bracched 

 from the bafe, clothed with dark-green, ungle-ribbed, 

 beardlefs leaves, recurved when dry ; the upperrooft forming 

 a kindof ftar at the top of each branch. The fruii-fitdkt 

 feem to fpring from the bafe of each branch ; yet xhe floiuer, 

 to which each owes its origin, perhaps terminated the (hoot 

 of the preceding feafon. Capfule fmall, ereft, ovate, po- 

 liftied. Fringe red, not very much twifted, more tiun half 

 the length of the capfule. The lid is reprefented by Curtis 

 nearly as io.ig as the capfule, awL-fhaped, and oblique. 

 The fpecinc name was meant to contraft this mofs with the 

 foliowing, fuppofed to have no fringe ; fo that few names 

 can be more exceptionable than either. 



T. imberbis. Deciduous Screw-mofs. Fl. Brit. n. Ij. 

 Engl. Bot. t. 2392. (Bryum imberbe ; Linn. Mant. 309. 

 B. tenue, imberbe et pallidum, foUis crebrioribus ; Dill. 

 Mufc. 382. t. 48. f. 46.) — Stem branched. Leaves awl- 

 (haped, fpreading ; ovate at their bafe. Stalks about the 

 upper part of the branches. Capfules cylindrical, fome- 

 what elliptical Found on dry banks, walls, and amongft 



grafs, perfecting its capfules very early in the fpring. This 

 has much the habit of the laft, but its leaves are of a paler 

 yello%vilh-green, more tapering and channelled, turning in- 

 ward in drying. Fruh-Jlalks purpli(h, an inch high. Cap- 

 fule more cylindrical and longer, while the lid is (horter 

 than in T. barbaia. Fringe light brown, very foon deci- 

 duous, whence Dillenius thought it to be wanting, and his 

 definition led Linn2us to apply the faulty name, which ftill 

 fticks to this fpecies. 



T. arijtata. Short -pointed Screw-mofs. Fl. Brit. n. 16. 

 Engl. Bot. t. 2393. (Bryum ariftatum ; Dickf. Cr)pt. 

 fafc. 4. 12. t. II. f. 7.) — Stem branched, level-topped., 

 Leaves oblong, obtufe, with a minute point ; curved inward 

 and twifted when dry. Capfule cylindncal. — Found on 

 walls at Croydon, Surrev, by Mr. Dickfon, who (irft 

 defcribed this mofs, and to whom we are indebted for 

 fpecimens. The Jhms are perennial, branched and level- 

 topped, much in the manner of the two foregoing. Leavts 

 rather abrupt, with a verj' fmall terminal point : by drying- 

 they become twifted, enfolding the branch in a fpiral order, 

 and are neither recurved nor inflexed. Fru'it-jlalks terminal,, 

 crimfon, fcarcely an inch high. Capfule cylindrical, of a 

 light (hining brown, thin and femi-peUucid. Lid incurved, 

 tapering, tawny, almoft equal in length to the capfule. 

 Fringe foon falling off. 



TORTURA, or Tantur, in Geography, a town 

 of Paleftine, on the coall of the Mediterranean, called in 

 the fcripture Dor, Dora, and NephatL. Joihua took it 

 from the Canaanites, and it fell to thu tribe of Manaffeh. 

 Tryphon, tyrant of Syria, after the murder of Antio- 

 chus VI. fled to this place for (belter; but he was foon 

 compelled to abandon it, and (hortly after loft his life. la 

 the times of Chriftianity it was ere<&ed into a bi(hopric 

 under the archbifhop of Csfarea. It is at prefent a village 

 orJy. The environs abound in grain, cotton, and fruit : 

 wheat in particular is abundant, and of a quality fuperior 

 to the other parts of Paleftine and Syria ; 15 miles S. of 

 Acre. N. lat. 32° 3^. E. long. 34^ z'. 



TORTURA, 



