1 1YPNUM PrOLIFERUM. PROLIFEROUS HyPNUM. 



HYPNUM Linnm Gen. PL Cryptogamia Musci. 



Rait Syn. Gen. 3. Musci. 

 HYPNUM proliferum furculis proliferis, plano-pinnatis, pedunculis aggregatis. Lirmai Sy/l. Vegetab. p. 800. 

 HYPNUM ramis teretibus pinnatis, pinnulis pinnatis, foliis adpreffis. Holler, h'ifi. 3. p. 22, 

 HYPNUM filicinum, Tamarifci foliis minoribus, non fplendentibus. Dillen. p. 276. icon, 35. fig. 14. 

 HYPNUM repens filicmum minus, luteo virens. Catal Gifs. 217. Raii Synop. p. 86. n. 36. Hudfon, Fl 

 Angl. p. 422. Weis Cryptogam, p. 230. 



CAULES palmares ad dodrantales, repentes, hinc inde ? 



radiculas fufcas exferentes, fiaepe vero adeo in- | 



tricate connexi ut humi ferpere nequeant, £ 



foliis ovato-acuminatis, carinatis, mucronatis, f 



fparfe tectis, fig. 1 . horum foliolorum fuper- | 



ficies, microfcopio valde aucta granulofa apparet, £ 



RAMI pulchre pinnati, deflexi, virefcentes, ad luteum 

 colorem plus minufve accedentes pro ratione 

 fitus aut anni temporis, omni fplendore deftituti, 

 rachis concolor, ad extremitatem plerumque 

 incraflatus. Ramuli et Pinnule foliolis exi- 

 liflimis, confertis, nudo oculo vix confpicuis 

 imbricatim tecti ; e difco rami, aut frondis, 

 novus caulis aut furculus plerumque exfurgit, 

 unde plantula mire extenditur ac propagatur, 

 et hinc Prolifer vocatur. 



PEDUNCULI fefquiunciales, rubri, plerumque quatuor | 

 aut quinque, aliquando plures e caule aggrega- f 

 tim affurgunt, et in quibufdam caulibus, Peri- I 

 chastia plura aut potius eorum rudimenta occur- 4 

 runt, e quibus Pedunculi fequente anno proba- f 

 1 biliter nafcuntur. | 



Perichjetium fig. 3. aut bafis pedunculi, t 

 ovatum, foliolis tenuibus pilo longo flexuofo I 

 terminatis veftitum. Capsule five Anthers y 

 fig. 4, quae Semen aut Pollinem continent, 

 incurvatae, ex fufco aurantiacae. Operculum 

 fig. 6, (quod collo cap fulae infigitur, et femine 

 maturescente decidit ) breve, et acumina- 

 tum. Orificium Capfulae duplici ferie Ciliarum 

 inftruitur fig. 8. 9. Cili;e exteriores fig. 8. | 

 aurantiacae, divergentes, apicibus aliquando f 

 paululum inflexis, et cum aridae fint fragiles ; t 

 interior es fig. 9, convergentes, membrana reti- | 

 culata connexae, ad quam videndam microfco- * 

 pio opus eft. Pqllen five Semen viride. * 

 Calyptraj%. 5. qua anthera cum fuo Operculo | 

 partim tegitur et quae primum decidit albida eft. % 



STALKS^ from three to nine inches in length, creep- 

 ing on the ground, and here and there fending 

 forth fmall brown fibres, but very often fo in- 

 tricately connected together as to be hindered 

 from creeping, thinly covered with leaves of an 

 oval pointed fhape, having a ftrong midrib, 

 which runs out to a fine point fig. 1 . when 

 greatly magnified the furface of thefe leaves ex- 

 hibits a granulated appearance fig. 2. 



BRANCHES beautifully pinnated, and bending down- 

 ward, of a green colour, moreorlefs inclined to 

 yellow, according to its place of growth, and 

 the feafon of the year, 'without any glofis ; the 

 midrib of the fame colour with the leaves and 

 generally thicker at its extremity ; the fmall 

 leaves, laying one over another, and fcarce dif- 

 cernible to the naked eye. From the middle 

 of the branch or Frons moft commonly arifes 

 a new ftalk, or furculus, by which means this 

 plant is Angularly extended and propagated, and 

 from this circumftance it acquires the name of 

 Proliferous. 



PEDUNCLES about an inch and a half in length, of 

 a bright red colour, generally about four or five, 

 fometimes more, fpring from the ftalk nearly to- 

 gether, in fome of the ftalks there is the ap- 

 pearance of feveral Perichatia without peduncles, 

 which probably arife from them the next year. 

 The PerichjEtium j?g-. 3. which is the bafe 

 of the peduncle, is of an oval fhape, and co- 

 vered with fmall leaves which terminate in a 

 long flexible point. The Capsules or An- 

 thers containing the pollen or feed^-. 4, are 

 incurvated, and of a brown orange colour. The 

 Operculum^. 6, (which fits on to the top 

 of the Capfule, and when the feed contained with- 

 in it, is ripe, falls off) is fhort, and pointed ; the 

 mouth of the Capfule has two rows of Ciuje 

 fig. 8. 9 ; the exterior row fig. 8, orange co- 

 loured, and diverging, the tops of them fome- 

 times bending a little inward, and brittle 

 when dry, the interior row fig. 9, converging, 

 of a membranous texture, and when very much 

 magnified, appearing reticulated. The Pollen 

 or Seed contained within the Capfules is green. 

 The Calyptra^. 5. which partly covers the 

 anthera and operculum, and firfts drops off is 

 of a white colour. 



There is fcarce a Wood in the environs of this City, on the borders of which this elegant fpecies of Mofs 

 doth not occur. 



It produceth its fructifications from December to February ; in this ftate however it is but feldom met with, 

 yet may be found by diligent fearching. Linnaeus in one of his journies through Sweden, obferved this Mofs 

 growing in the thickeft Woods, obfcured with perpetual made, and where all other plants perifhed. 



Moft of the writers who have made this clafs of plants more particularly the objeft of their enquiries, have gener- 

 ally made two diftincl: Genera of the Hypnum and Bryum, yet fo great is the affinity betwixt them, and fo much 

 do they run into one another, that what fome of thefe Authors call a Bryum, others denominate a Hypnum ; in- 

 deed this divifion feems adopted more to facilitate the investigation of the plants of this numerous family, than from 

 any real natural divifion which takes place between them. The difference between fome of theHypnums and fome 

 of the Bryums is obvious to almoft every one, but to afcertain the limits where the one begins and the other 

 terminates, feems a tafk too difficult for the moft accurate Botanift. 



The principal Charadteriftics of a Bryum according to Linnaeus, are, that the peduncle which fuftains the An- 

 thera or Capfule, grows out of the top of the furculus or ftalk, and is furnifhed at its bafe with a little naked tuber- 

 cle or bulb ; in the Hypnum on the contrary, the peduncle grows out of the fide of the ftalk and the tubercle at 

 its bafe is covered with leaves and called a Perichaetium, 



