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Hair-cap Mosses

Genus POGONATUM, Beauv.

The Pogonatum mosses grow in tufts on the ground, often with a green felt of thread-like cells (protonema) at the base. The plants are short and simple, or long and robust; with branches starting below the leaves at the base of the pedicel, or half-way up to the stem. The male plants continue to grow from the centre of a terminal rosette of bracts.

The leaves are erect or spreading, the upper-half lance-shaped or strap-shaped; the base is clasping, with large pale cells; the margins are entire or serrate; the vein is broad, with numerous lamellae occupying almost the entire width of the leaf-blade, and with their terminal cells smooth or bearing tiny projections (papillose).

The generic name Pogonatum, from the Greek a beard, refers to the veil, which is hairy and almost covers the spore-case.

The spore-cases are cylindrical, but not angular. They are nearly symmetrical, erect, or turned to one side, with flat lids having a central point. They are borne on erect pedicels.

The peristome is simple, of 32 blunt teeth, orange in the middle, united at the base and appearing as if attached at the apices to a membranous disk (epiphragm).

There are one hundred and fifty-six species known in all, nine in North America.

The Short-stemmed Hair-cap Moss, Pogonatum brevicaule, Beauv.--See Colour Plate IV.

Habit and habitat.--The short-stemmed Pogonatum is remarkable because of its habit of retaining the protonema, which persists as a bright-green felt covering the ground at the base of the plants. It binds the crumbling earth so that one may gather it in sheets. As the moss commonly grows in clay-banks, in ditches, and in places rather insecure, it may be that the habit of retaining the protonema has been evolved in the struggle for existence to enable it to live in situations too insecure to be occupied by other mosses.

Name.--The specific name brevicaule, from the Latin brevis, short, and caulis, stem, refers to the height of the plant.

Plant (gametophyte).--Short, simple; 1/4 to 1/2 of an inch high. The male plants are minute and bud-like.

Leaves.--Five or six, erect, lance-shaped; apex awned; base broad, transparent; margin serrate, with appressed teeth; lamellae few, 5 to 6 cells deep, the terminal one smooth and elliptic in section. Male-cluster leaves erect, curved back from the middle, lapping as shingles, broadly obcordate; vein passing beyond the apex to form a sharp point.

Leaves at the base of the pedicel.--Sheathing, long, membranous, abruptly narrowed to a long, erect, obtusely serrate point.

Habit of flowering--Male and female flowers on separate plants (dioicous). Male plants bud-like.

Veil (calyptra).--Hairy, reaching to the base of the spore-case.

Spore-case.--Cylindrical, broadest at the mouth, contracted below the mouth when dry, rough with tiny projections (papillose).

Pedicel (seta).--Twisted, 1 to 2 inches long.

Lid (operculum).--Flat, with a point at the centre.

Teeth (peristome).--White, simple, of 32 blunt teeth.

Spores.--Mature in winter.

Distribution.--North America; Eastern States, north to New-foundland, west to Ontario.

The Short-leaved Hair-cap Moss, Pogonatum brachyphyllum, (Michx.) Beauv.

Habit and habitat.--The short-leaved Pogonatum is found on sandy or loamy soil. The plants do not grow close together, but scattered somewhat, on a persistent green felt of slender alga-like threads.

Name.--The specific name brachyphyllum is compounded of the Greek , short, and a leaf.

Plants (gametophyte).--Olive-green or dark-brown when old; stems rigid, short, 2/5 to 4/5 of an inch long.

Leaves.--In rosettes at the summit of the stems, curved, appressed and brown when dry, very short, strap-shaped; apex blunt; margin entire; vein broad; lamellae numerous, 6 to 7 cells deep, irregular, the terminal cell smooth, elliptic in section; base clear with large cells.

Habit of flowering.--Male and female flowers on separate plants (dioicous).

Veil (calyptra).--Hairy, dirty-brown, reaching to the middle of the spore-case.

Spore-case.--Yellow-brown, erect or curved, broadest at the mouth, rough with tiny projections.

Pedicel (seta).--Erect, short 1 to 1 1/2 inches long, twisted.

Lid (operculum).--Flat, beak short, blunt-pointed.

Teeth (peristome).--Simple and blunt. Thirty-two in number.

Spores.--Mature in winter.

Distribution.--Pine barrens of New Jersey, south to Florida and Louisiana.

The Hair-like Hair-cap, Pogonatum capillare, (Michx.) Brid.

Habit and habitat.--Pale-green plants growing rather close together.

Name.--The specific name capillare is the Latin for "hair-like," referring to the slender character of the stem, leaves and teeth.

Plant (gametophyte).--Simple, or increasing by shoots from the summit of the main stem, 1 to 3 inches high, naked below, loosely leafy above.

Leaves.--Curled when dry, spreading when moist, 1/5 to 2/5 of an inch long, broadly lance-shaped; base transparent; margin serrate, with many-celled, triangular teeth; lamellae numerous, 30 to 35, cells of the lamellae 5 to 7 deep, the terminal broadest in section with tiny projections on the flat surface.

Habit of flowering.--Male and female flowers on separate plants (dioicous).