THE GENERA OF MOSSES. 85 
tra tomentosa is generally understood to have been oc- 
casioned by receiving a species of Polytrichum along with 
Buochaumia, De Candolle describes it as possessing 
" un faisceau de poils courts et serres au lieu de feuillest;" 
and Dr Hooker, " Perichsetium in terram parte immersum 
et radices tomentosas emittens, ovato-oblongura, bulbiforme, 
villis nigricantibus, brevibus, strictis, varieque intertextis 
obtectum \y It would be easy to multiply quotations to 
prove, that w^hatever light this part of Buxhaumia was re- 
garded, no one ever thought it was covered with true leaves. 
The illustrious Halleb, indeed, made a near approach in 
saying, " Ipse, cinctus foliaceo quasi involucro, emittit du- 
rum, purpureum, pediculum ||,'' &c. It was reserved, how- 
ever, for our countrymen, Mr Beown, and the late Mr J. 
Stewart, lecturer on Botany in this city, clearly to ascer- 
tain their existence, and describe their true structure. The 
latter gentleman noticed them particularly in his lectures 
on Cryptogamic Botany in the commencement of the win- 
ter of 1818-19, and read an account of them some time 
afterwards to the Wernerian Society §. Mr Brown also 
mentioned them in one of his admirable papers on Musco- 
logy, read before the Linnean Society April 6. 1819; and 
states, that he had " lately ascertained their existence. 
In consequence of the lamented death of Mr Stewrt, it is 
now impossible to ascertain to whom the precedence in this 
discovery is due ; but both assuredly are entitled to equal 
merit. 
• Nov. Gen. PI. p. 109. No. 13. 
t Fl. Franc, ed. 6. v. ii. p. 513. 
X FI. Lond. 
II Enum. Stirp. Helvet, p. 10. 
§ Edin. Phil. Journ. vol. ii. p. 377. See also Edin. Encycl. art^ Musci. 
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