Hypnum Proliferum. Proliferous Hypnum. 
HYPNUM Limiei Gen. FI. Crvptogamia Musci. 
Rail Syn. Gen. 3. Musci. 
PIYPNUM prolferum furculis proliferis, plano-piimatis, pedunculis aggregatis. Limuli Syjl. Vegetat, f. 860. 
HYPNUM ramis teretibus pinnatis, pinnulis pinnatis, foliis adpreffis. Haller, hijl. 3. p. 33. 
HYPNUM filicinum, Tamarifci foliis minoribus, non fplendentibus. Bitten. p. zy 6 . tcm. 35 - f&- H- 
... . • Catal Gifs. 217. Rail Synop. p. 86. n. 36. Hudfon , FI. 
HYPNUM repens filicinum minus, luteo virens. i*ateu j / j r r 
Angi. p. 422. Weis Cryptogam, p. 230. 
CAULES palmares ad dodrantales, repentes, hinc. inde | 
radiculas fufcas exferentes_, faepe vero adeo in- 
tricate connexi ut humi ferpere nequeant, 
foliis ovato-acuminatis, carinatis, mucronatis, 
fparfe te&is, fig. 1. horum foliolorum fuper- 
ficies, microfcopio valde audta granulofa apparet, 
Jg- 2 - 
RAMI pulchre pinnati, deflexi, virefcentes, ad luteum 
colorem plus minufve accedentes pro ratione 
fitus aut anni temporis, omni fiplendore deftituti , 
rachis concolor , ad extremitatem plerumque 
incraffatus. Ramuli et Pinnula foliolis exi- 
liflimis, confertis, nudo oculo vix confpicuis 
imbricatim te£li ; e dilco rami, aut frondis, £ 
novus caulis aut furculus plerumque exfurgit, | 
unde plantula mire extenditur ac propagatur, | 
et hinc Prolifer vocatur. | 
l 
PEDUNCULI fefquiunciales, rubri, plerumque quatuor 
aut quinque, aliquando plures e caule aggrega- 
tim afliirgunt, et 111 quibufdam caulibus, Pen- 
chaetia plura aut potius eorum rudimenta occur- 
runt, e quibus Pedunculi fequente anno proba- 
biliter nafcuntur. 
Perich®tium fig. 3. aut . bafis pedunculi, 
ovatum, foliolis tenuibus pilo longo flexuofo 
terminatis veftitum. Capsulae five Anther ® 
fig. 4, quas Semen aut Pollinem continent, 
incurvat*, ex fufco aurantiac*. Operculum 
fg. 6, (quod collo capful* infigitur, et femine 
maturescente decidit ) breve, et acumina- 
tum. Orificium Capful* duplici ferieCiliarum 
inftruitur fg. 8. 9. Cili®_ exteriores fig. 8. 
aurantiacae, divergentes, apicibus aliquando 
paululum inflexis, et cum aridas fint fragiles ; 
interiores fig. 9, convergentes, membrana reti- 
culata connexce, ad quam videndam microlco- 
pio opus eft. Pollen five Semen viride. 
CalyptraJ?§-. 5. qua anthera cum fuo Operculo 
partim tegitur et quee primum decidit albida eft. 
STALKS from three to nine inches in length, creep- 
ing on the ground, and here and there fending 
forth fmall brown fibres, but very often fo in- 
tricately conne&ed together as to be hindered 
from creeping, thinly covered with leaves of an 
oval pointed ffiape, having a ftroug midrib, 
which runs out to a fine point fg. 1 . when 
greatly magnified the furface of thefe leaves ex- 
hibits a granulated appearance fg. 2. 
BRANCHES beautifully pinnated, and bending down- 
ward, of a green colour, moreorlefs inclined to 
yellow, according to its place of growth, and 
the feafon of the year, without any glofs ; the 
midrib of the fame colour with the leaves and 
generally thicker at its extremity; the fmall 
leaves, laying one over another, and fcarce dis- 
cernible to the naked eye. From the middle 
of the branch or Frons moft commonly arifes 
a new ftalk, or furculus, by which means this 
plant is Angularly extended and propagated, and 
from this circum fiance it acquires the name of 
Proliferous. 
PEDUNCLES about an inch and a half in lengthy of 
a bright red colour, generally about four or five, 
fometimes more, fpring from the ftalk nearly to- 
gether, in fome of the ftalks there is the ap- 
pearance of feveral Perichcetia without peduncles, 
which probably arife from them the next year. 
The Perich®tium fig. 3. which is the bafe 
of the peduncle, is of an oval lhape, and co- 
vered with fmall leaves which terminate in a 
long flexible point. The Capsules or An- 
ther.® containing the pollen or feed fig. 4, are 
incurvated, and of a brown orange colour. The 
Operculum^. 6, (which fits on to the top 
of the Capfule, and when the feed contained with- 
in it, is ripe, falls off) is Ihort, and pointed; the 
mouth of the Capfule has two rows of Cili® 
fig. 8.9; the exterior row fig. 8, orange co- 
loured, and diverging, the tops of them fome- 
times bending a little inward, and brittle 
when dry, the interior row fig. 9, converging, 
of a membranous texture, and when very much 
magnified, appearing reticulated. The Pollen 
or Seed contained within the Capfules is green. 
The Calyptra fig. 5. which partly covers the 
anthera and operculum, and firfts drops off is 
of a white colour. 
There is fcarce a Wood in the environs of this City, on the borders of which this elegant fpecies of Mofs 
It produceth its fructifications from December to February ; in this ftate however it is but feldom met with, 
vet may be found by diligent fearching. Liniiseus in one of his journies through Sweden, obferved this Mols 
p-rowine: in the thickeft Woods, obfeured with perpetual fhade, and where all other plants perilhed. 
Moft of the writers who have made this clal's of plants more’ particularly the objed of their enquiries, have gener- 
ally made two diftinft Genera of the Hypnum and Bryum, yet fo great is the affinity betwixt them, and lo much 
do'thev fun into one another, that what fome of thefe Authors call a Bryum, others denominate a Hypnum; in- 
deed this diyifion feems adopted more to facilitate the inveftigation of the plants of this numerous family, than from 
any real natural divifion which takes place between them. The difference between fome of the Hypnums and lome 
of the Bryums is obvious to almoft every one, but to afeertain the limits where the one begins and the other 
terminates, feems a talk too difficult for the moft accurate Botanift. , . 
The principal Charafteriftics of a Bryum according to Linnaeus, are, that the peduncle which fuftains the An- 
thera or Capfule, grows out of the top of the furculus or ftalk, and is furnifhed at its bafe with a little naked tuber- 
cle or bulb ; in the Hypnum on the contrary, the peduncle grows out of the fide of the ftalk and the tubercle at 
its bafe is covered with leaves and called a Perichastium, 
