The Mosses Anacahjpta and Pottia. . 11 



in separate groups ; some having fruit-stalks more than half 

 an inch long, others with the seta scarcely a line in height, and 

 with leaves equally diverse, so that one unacquainted with the 

 circumstance might easily imagine them to belong to different 

 species. It may, however, always be known by the peculiarity 

 of three or four membranous appendages attached to the 

 nerve on the upper side of the leaf. These appendages are 

 analogous to the lamellas of Polytrichum hercynicum and the 

 allied species. 



The leaves are, besides, erecto-patent, concave, slightly 

 imbricated, obovate, or elliptical, and more or less piliferous; 

 sometimes, however, they are destitute of the hairy point. The 

 capsule is oval, crowning a shorter or longer pedicel, and having 

 an obliquely rostrate lid shorter than the capsule. It is found on 

 banks and mud- walls, and bears its fruit in March. 



Pottia truncata, or the common Pottia, ripens its fruit in 

 February and March. This also varies in stature, having stems 

 from half a line to half an inch long ; sometimes simple, some- 

 times branched, with a fruit- stalk two or three lines in length; 

 and, though it chiefly bears solitary capsules, sometimes two 

 and even three are found growing together. These capsules 

 are sometimes very short, broad, and wide-mouthed, at others 

 oblong and truncate. The leaves are more or less spreading, 

 widely lanceolate, often wider above the middle, oblong and 

 acuminate, with a reflexed margin, the nerve most frequently 

 sub-excurrent, but occasionally ceasing below the apex. 



Wilson remarks that a variety of this moss sometimes 

 occurs in wet seasons, " with the stem branched in a fascicu- 

 lated manner, with six or eight branches, each bearing a 

 capsule. " 



The lid is obliquely rostrate, and convex at the base. 



Another member of the family fruiting in February is 

 Pottia Wilsoni, the oval-fruited Pottia. It grows on banks in 

 a sandy soil, intermixed with the larger variety of P. truncata; 

 was found by Mr. Wilson on rocky ground near Bangor and 

 Carnarvon; also near Llanfaelog and Holyhead in North 

 Wales ; by others in Sussex, near Wrexham, and near Over in 

 Cheshire. It is supposed not to be unfrequent, but liable to 

 be mistaken for P. cavi-folia or for P. truncata. In aspect, 

 however, it differs considerably from the latter, growing in 

 close, round, convex tufts, of a pale, glaucous colour ; whereas 

 P. truncata, though occurring in similar situations, presents 

 extended flat patches with dark green foliage ; and, while 

 the leaves of P. truncata are quinquefarious, those of P. Wilsoni 

 are octofarious. The nerve, too, is more excurrent, forming a 

 mucro equal to half the width of the leaf. The areolation of 

 the leaf is opaque and small in the upper part, larger and dia- 



