108 BRITISH MOSSES. 



SUB -ORDER IX. 

 RIPARIEiE. 



Characteristics op Order. 



Plants large, growing in water, with floating stems, attached by the base to 

 stones or wood ; fructification, either from the summit {acrocarpous) , or from side 

 branches (cladoearpous) ; peristome single. See FonUnaUs, in the side-fruited 

 (pleurocarpous) section. It is probable from the general habit, and even the 

 structure of the peristome, bearing so much resemblance to Fontinalis that the 

 two orders should be united in one. 



Plate XIV. 



CINCL1DOTUS. 

 Fig. 1. Lattice Moss. 



Generic Character. 



Capsule [a) either immersed or on a pedicel, much furrowed (b) ; peristome 

 (a) twisted into a cone, composed of thirty-two very long teeth, adhering to the 

 summit of the columella, united at the base by a membrane, pierced with holes 

 like lattice- work (c) , whence is derived the name of the moss. Areolae (c7) very 

 small ; texture of the leaf thick. 



I. Acrocarpous. 

 Fig. 2. Cinclidotus riparius (Variety Terrestris) . 

 Great Water Screw Moss (a) . 



Colour. Glaucous green. 



Stems. Erect, slightly branched. 



Leaves (b) . Spreading, oblong-lanceolate ; margins thickened ; nerve excurrent. 

 Flowers and Fruit. Dioicous ; seta short and thick ; capsule elliptic ; lid oblique. 

 Spring. 



Locality. On stones, &c. near water. 



The truij form is not known in Britain. 



