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272 THE NORTHERN MICROSCOPIST, 
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A very minute and rare moss, growing in small patches, not ™4- 
inch in height, on turfy soil, is Bartramidula Wilsont, the beardless 
dwarf Apple Moss. One of the most beautiful and delicate of 
mosses, it is remarkable for its pale pink globular, drooping capsules 
without peristome. Found in Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Cwm 
Bychan (Wilson, Perceval, Salway.) 
Connecting the Acrocarpous with the Pleurocarpous Mosses, ate 
a few genera, termed Cladocarpi, of which the principal is the 
Fissidentacez, or Flat Fork Mosses, In ten species the capsule is 
terminal, while in the four remaining it is lateral, arising from a 
short fertile branch (ramulus) ; the possession, however, of a distinct 
vaginula, the sheath round the base of the fruit-stalk (seta), 
removes them from the pleurocarpous group. The anomalous 
structure of the leaf at once distinguishes it as a separate family 
amongst the moss flora, the leaves being in two rows, alternate and 
inserted vertically, each with a median nerve; united to which fora 
greater or less extent is a second series of stipules, which, with the 
upper half of the leaf base, sheathe the stem. 
They are plants very variable in size, with stems from ¥4-inch to 
12 inches long, simple or branched, complanate ; capsule sym- 
metric or obliquely incurved, narrowed at base ; calyptra hooded 
(cucultate) ; peristome of 16 teeth, cleft half way or more into two 
rough subulate segments, transversely barred, deep red. 
Named from the Latin fissus, split and dens, a tooth ; the species 
are distributed through all the tropical and temperate regions of 
the globe, and are found on wet banks and rocks, sometimes 
trunks of trees. One of the lateral fruited species is  adtantoides ; 
the marsh Flat Fork Moss; common round Manchester on wet 
shady rocks, having stems 1—2 inches in length, but varying con- 
siderably in size and colour according to the locality. The leaves 
are oblong-lanceolate ; acute, serrulate above ; capsule ovate ; lid 
long beaked. Dioicous. Fig. 21, 
An extremely fine moss of this group, although not fruiting in 
Britain, is / folyphyllus, having stems 3—12 inches in length ; 
leaves nearly twice as long as the preceding, of finer texture, 
glossy ; oblong-lanceolate, entire and nerved to apex. Pont Aber- 
glaslyn (Cash, Cunliffe.) 
Of the terminal fruited species there are four in fruit about this 
time.  osmundoides, the Alpine Flat Fork Moss, Leaves 
crowded, ovate-lanceolate ; not bordered, with large cells ; nerve 
ceasing below apex; capsule sub-erect, small ; oval-oblong; lid 
wild)’: calyptra mitriform, on wet rocks, Staleybrushes (Stanley, 
£. pusillus, Stems short ; leaves erect, acute ; narrow ; nerved 
to apex; capsules sub-erect; peristome immersed. Sandstone 
rocks. Ashley Mill, Bowden, and Clitheroe, (Hunt.) 


