The Side-fruiting Mosses. 411 



in water, chiefly in rivulets, where their rooting base attaches 

 itself to stones or stumps of trees, and the rest, i. e., the. stem 

 and branches, float hither and thither with the stream, like so 

 much vegetating hair; being weak, flexible, and somewhat 

 fragile, and the lower part of the stem being nude, or almost 

 nude of leaves ; the cellular tissue apparently absorbed in the 

 vascular to strengthen the lower part of the stem and the 

 fibres of the root, by which it holds its place upon whatever 

 object they have grasped. They bear a dioicous inflorescence 

 with lateral flowers inserted among the leaves, but neither they 

 nor the branches are strictly axillary in Fontinalis as in most 

 other mosses, but are inserted a little higher up than the 

 axillae of the leaves, and sometimes even at the side of the next 

 leaf above. And here we do not think we can do better than 

 quote a passage from Mr. Wilson ; he says : — 



" During the development of the fruit, the gemmiform 

 flower is enlarged and elongated, and becomes a perichaetial 

 branch, the perichgetium being composed of about four spires 

 of imbricated leaves, distinguished from the stem leaves by 

 their larger dimensions and more firm texture, closely 

 applied to the young capsule and torn to shreds as it swells to 

 its full size ; they are inserted so high up that the vaginula in 

 this genus seems to be almost wanting as a distinct organ, the 

 upper part of the ramulus serving that office. The curious and 

 extremely beautiful peristome should be examined in a recent 

 state, before the lid is fallen away, in order to see it in perfec- 

 tion. If fine transverse sections of the somewhat unripe fruit 

 are placed under the microscope, the structure of the peristome 

 will be most advantageously exhibited, and its exquisite sym- 

 metry will much interest the observer." 



We have preferred thus giving the words of another, lest 

 our own should be accused of enthusiasm. The genus derives 

 its name from its aquatic nature. 



Fontinalis antipyretica, or the greater water-moss, of which 

 we give an illustration, with the fruit, and a stem-leaf, and 

 perichaetial leaf magnified, is the frequent inhabitant of our 

 ponds and streams, with stems a foot long or more, and much 

 subdivided, alike carpeting the home of stagnant waters, 

 waving in the mountain streamlet, covering the stones in arti- 

 ficial waterfalls, or dancing in the mill-race ; in fine, groAving 

 wherever a stone is submersed in pond or lake, and there 

 becoming the abode and the sustenance of numerous paludinas, 

 etc. The leaves are widely ovate, acuminate, or ovate lanceo- 

 late, sharply keeled, almost doubled, or complicate, and with 

 the peculiarity of having all the leaves of the same branch with 

 the margins reflexed on the same side, whether right or left, 

 the other margin being plain. They often split down the 



