MOSSES. 



383 



X. clavatum— native of Bri- | 

 tain and other parts of I 

 the north temperate zone, j 

 and abundant at high alti- 

 tudes in tropical America 

 — where, in parts of the | 

 West Indies, it covers i 

 many acres, often uninter- j 

 ruptedly. In such places j 

 in wading- one's way | 

 through it, the spores i 

 rise in small clouds of j 

 yellow dust. Hardy when j 

 gathered in Europe, but | 

 the tropical forms should 

 have a cool Fernery. 



Jj. complanatum— a recently 

 established British spe- 

 cies, a lact Jong suspected; 

 abundant in tropical Ame- 

 rica, at high altitudes. 



Covers the ground thickly 

 with dense virgate 

 branches. It should be 

 treated like clavatum. 

 L. scariosum and L. Caroli- 

 nianum are both of the 

 flat - branched section, 

 which do best in wet peat 

 and growing sphagnum. 

 They are rather straggling 

 in growth, and spread 

 prostrate on the ground, 

 throwing up erect or sub- 

 erect fruiting branches. 

 The former is found both 

 in tropical America and 

 Australia. The latter, 

 from the United States 

 southward. Both require 

 cool Fern-house treat- 

 ment. 



requirements described for the foregoing species 

 would apply also to these, and in fact, if discrimina- 

 tion he used, cover all that is required in the entire 

 family. 



All the foregoing should he grown on a rockwork, 

 or the smaller ones, if desired, in wide pans, allow- 

 ing room to spread. 



L. dichotomum — stem once 

 or twice forked, and gene- 

 rally erect, or nearly so. 

 Leaves much longer than 

 in L. reflexuni, which in 

 habit it resembles. It 

 grows in peat and sphag- 

 num Moss, and would 

 thrive in pots or baskets, 

 with a medium tempera- 

 ture. 



Jj. laxum — a slender, pen- 

 dent, often many-times- 

 forked species, in which 

 the fertile part varies 

 from the slightly modi- 

 fied normal branch to a 

 distinct quadrangular 

 condition ; it should be 

 suspended in peat in 

 stove heat, as it belongs 

 to the tropical Pacitic is- 

 lands. 



It. linifolium — a very flaccid 

 plant, so much so that it 

 might be rolled into a 

 ball in the palms of one's 

 hands without injury. 

 The leaves are linear-acu- 

 minate, very large, the 

 stems slender almost as 

 thread, repeatedly forked 

 and very pendent. Re- 

 quires a basket and peat, 

 with tropical heat. 



Jj. mandiocanum — this is 

 united with dichotomum, 

 which it closely resem- 

 bles, at Kew. It varies 

 in growth and foliage in 

 different regions, is either 

 erect or pendent in habit, 

 and does best in moist 

 peat and sphagnum. 

 Grown in pot or basket. 



L. phlegmaria — like phyl- 

 lanthum in habit. The 

 fertile portions are ex- 

 ceedingly slender and re- 

 peatedly forked. It be- 

 longs to Australia atd 



Polynesia, and should be 

 treated as a stove plant. 



L. phyllanthum — in this the 

 fertile portion is trans- 

 ferred into tassel-like 

 clusters at the ends of the 

 branches. It is a fine ro- 

 bust species, and should 

 be treated in all particu- 

 lars like L. laxum. 



L . reflexum — a terrestrial 

 species, with stiff, gene- 

 rally erect branches, two 

 or more times forked, ex- 

 tending close together. It 

 grows in damp but ordi- 

 nary soil. The leaves be- 

 come reflexed after a short 

 time. Temperature about 

 55° to 80°, and plenty of 

 light. 



L. selago— a small tufted, 

 simple stemmed or dicho- 

 tomous, terrestrial spe- 

 cies. Does well on an open 

 rockwork in peat. It is 

 found in Britain, and is 

 widely diffused in the 

 north and south tempe- 

 rate zones. 



L. taxifolium — one of the 

 most robust species, with 

 flat linear - acuminate 

 leaves, and divaricating re- 

 peatedly forked brancnes. 

 It should be grown in 

 peat, in pot or basket, in 

 a cool house, or with 

 moderate heat, affording 

 shade. 



L. verticillatum — this is re- 

 markable for its nume- 

 rous short, stiff, often 

 forked, much divaricating 

 slender branches, with 

 short subulate leaves. It 

 will do well in either pot 

 or basket, but should be 

 elevated above surround- 

 ing plants. Requires a 

 mean temperature. 



MOSSES. 



There are numerous beautiful tropical and warm 

 temperate species, which have never been tried in 

 cultivation, but which would be well worth the 

 trouble of introducing to our gardens. The cultural 



THE name Moss has been indiscriminately applied 

 to a host of different plants of tufted habit be- 

 longing to widely different families. For instance, 

 the Spanish or Florida Moss, which hangs in long 

 masses from the branches of trees in the warmer 

 parts of the New World, is a Phanerogamic plant, 

 Tillandsia usneoides. Eeindecr Moss, Iceland Moss, 

 and the Irish Moss of commerce are Lichens. The 

 true Mosses constitute a large group of flowerless 

 plants, or Cryptogams, of considerable interest 

 both on account of their singular structure and 

 their very varied and often beautiful forms. From 

 a purely economic standpoint, the family perhaps 

 yields fewer objects of utility to man than any 

 other. 



The species occur in all parts of the world, and 

 thrive on high mountains long after all Phanero- 

 gamic vegetation has ceased ; they are exceedingly 

 numerous — nearly six hundred are found within the 

 limits of the British Islands — vary remarkably in 

 size, and are either annual or perennial. Some of 

 the British species are quite as beautiful as many 

 Filmy Ferns, and not a few exotic ones would 

 thoroughly repay the trouble of introduction. Very 

 few of the latter have, in all probability, ever been 

 tried by English gardeners ; enthusiasts have, how- 

 ever, succeeded to a greater or less extent with the 

 native ones. 



Attractive and luxuriant as are so many of our 

 common Mosses in a state of nature, and, as a 

 casual observer may be led to believe, therefore 

 of easy culture, they are nevertheless by no means 

 easy to grow with any degree of success under the 

 widely different conditions which generally obtain 

 artificially. In this article a few hints as to the 

 species most likely to please, and the best way in 

 which experience has taught the writer to treat 

 them, will be given. 



Cultivation, §c. — If no special structure is forth- 

 coming, many Mosses may be readily grown in a 

 cold frame, or among other plants in a cool, shaded 

 Fern-house. Several (many of the Hypnums, for 

 instance) grow thoroughly well on a piece of rock 

 or brickwork, moved from the natural locality in a 

 piece. In building an in-door Fernery it is as well 

 to use a few Moss-covered stones here and there. In 

 a short time the other pieces of rock will become 

 clothed with a covering of Moss plants, amongst 



