THE GENERA OF MOSSES. 463 
geminated teeth, when dry, are either equidistant, or gemi- 
nating in pairs; when moist, they are the same as in 
Splachnum. Columella more or less exserted, straight, ri- 
gid, dilated in a globose manner at the summit. Sporules 
as in Splachnum. 
DiFF. Char. Fruit-stalk terminal. Capsule with an 
apophysis. Peristome simple, of geminating teeth, which 
xdien dry are erect and straight. Calumella dilated at the 
apex. Calyptra even, entire at the base, fugacious. 
Veg. Stems forming dense tufts, erect, more or less 
elongated,, nearly simple : (in our D, Splachnoides they 
often occur 2 — 2 inches in length, deeply imbedded in the 
ground). Leaves imbricated pretty closely on all sides of 
the stem, suberect or patent^ especially towards the summit 
of the stem. They are all highly vasculose and reticulated, 
green when growing, but sometimes gaining a yellowish 
hue in drying. They are nearly uniform in shape, between 
ovate and lingulate, all remarkably rounded and obtuse at 
the extremity, and concave. There is no appearance of 
serratures, and the nerve in every instance disappears a 
little below the summit. The perichsetial leaves do not 
differ from the rest, except in being perhaps more patent, 
Obs. For the institution of this genus, as well as the 
alterations of the preceding one, we solicit the indulgence 
of muscologists, — at least till what we have advanced has 
been submitted to a fair examination. It may be urged 
against us that we rest too strongly upon the appearance of 
the peristome in a dry state. We do believe that, in this 
genus, the main generic distinctions are to be taken from 
the characters then exhibited. We have shown that, when 
moist, nearly all the peristomes of the Splachnoides have 
