Moore— On the Mosses of Ireland. 
431 
A very comprehensive Genus of mosses as it stands in the older works ; 
but latterly it has been subdivided into genera, most of which are 
adopted as sections here. 
Sect. 1. Brachythecium. Bryol. Europ. 
Plants mostly large and robust ; stems spreading widely, rarely 
suberect, profusely branched ; branches irregular or sub-pin- 
nate. Leaves silky, crowded, spreading on every side, rarely 
secund, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, margins recurved below ; 
areolation rhomboid or more elongated. Capsules ovate or 
oblong, cernuous, or sub-erect ; lid convex-conic : teeth of peris- 
tome, densely trabeculate, cilia rarely absent. 
Diagnosis of Species. 
Inflorescence dioicous. 
Leaves erecto-patent, lanceolate-acuminate, 
entire, striated, nerved nearly to the 
apex; fruit-stalk rough, . . . 1. H. lutescens. 
Leaves erect, ovate-lanceolate, imbricated, 
striated, concave, entire, revolute at the 
margin, nerved half way, . . . 2. H. albicans. 
Leaves densely imbricated, ovate, patent, 
with long slender points, nerved above 
half way ; fruit-stalk smooth, . . 3. H. glaeeosum. 
Leaves patent, ovate, striated, margin sharply 
serrated, nerved above half way ; fruit- 
stalk rough, 4. H. EIVULAEE. 
Leaves closely imbricate, ovate- apiculate, 
concave, serrulate, nerve ceasing below 
the apex ; fruit-stalk roughish, . . 5. H. illecebrxjm. 
Inflorescence monoicous. 
Leaves spreading, sub-sccund, ovate, or lan- 
ceolate-acuminate, serrate, nerved half 
way; fruit- stalk rough, . . .6. H. velutinum. 
Leaves erect, ovate, or lanceolate- acuminate, 
their margins slightly reflexed, nerve 
excurrent ; fruit-stalk roughish, . 7. II. populeum. 
Leaves erecto-patent, the upper sub-secund, 
ovate- lanceolate, subserrate, their mar- 
gins recurved, nerved half way ; fruit- 
stalk roughish, 8. H. pltjmosum. 
