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Herbarium — Part 16

The leaves are large, not very close together on the stem and of a delicate translucent green. A hand lens will show them to have a hard, brown, entire margin notched at the rounded apex, and a tiny little point in the notch.

The fruits are not often found, but when present are oval, green cylinders with sharp-pointed lids, horizontal or inclined on slender pedicels.

Name.--The specific name, the Latin punctatum, dotted, was given by J. G. Hedwig, on account of the cell structure.

Plant (gametophyte).--Tall, robust, 3 to 6 inches high, the dark-green sterile shoots erect; all covered the whole length with brown filaments.

Leaves.--Remote on branches and stems, open, turned back from the stem, large, the lower round, oval, inserted only by the enlarged vein; the upper 4 to 6 in a rosette, each leaf broadly oval, tapering toward the base; apex slightly notched, with a sharp point in the notch; margin entire, brown, thick and hard; vein purplish, abruptly vanishing near apex, extending down the stem.

Habit of flowering.--Male and female flowers on separate plants (dioicous); male plants more slender than the female, with but few stem leaves, and the leaves at the summit arranged as a rosette about the male flowers (antheridia).

Veil (calyptra).--Split up one side, remaining on the spore case all winter but falling early in the spring.

Spore-case.--Oval, green when mature, brown when older, ovate-oblong, somewhat pendulous, finally horizontal.

Pedicel.--Long and pale, usually solitary.

Lid (operculum).--Acutely beaked.

Annulus.--Narrow, rolling back as the lid is pushed off.

Teeth (peristome).--As in the genus.

Spores.--Mature in spring.

Distribution.--America, Europe, Asia.

Mnium punctatum, variety elatum, Bruch & Schimp., (See Plate XIX), has the stem taller, often 6 to 8 inches high, and more branching and for this reason called elatum, the Latin for "raised."

Genus AULACOMNIUM, Schwaegr.

The species of the Genus Aulacomnium are erect, in dense cushions on marshy ground or in cracks of rocks. Some species will be easily recognised by their leafless branches terminated by round clusters of loose granular bodies (gemmae). Each gemma is an aggregate of cells and resembles the early stage in a developing leaf. They fall to the ground and there develop into new plants.

The leaves are oblong or lance-shaped with tiny projections on the cells.

Oblong nodding spore-cases, conspicuously ribbed when old, are borne on slender pedicels. The ribbing of the cases has suggested the name Aulacomnium, from the Greek a furrow, and moss. There are two rows of teeth, the inner with long cilia.

Nine species are known in all, five of them in North America.

Aulacomnium androgynum, Schwaegr.

Habit and habitat.--In dense tufts, green above, rust-brown within, owing to the numerous felted hairs on the stems. Found on bare earth, roots of trees, fissures of rocks, on plains or mountains. A tiny Western humming-bird uses this moss for its nest.

Name.--The specific name, androgynum, hermaphrodite, was given from a mistaken idea that the moss was produced only by asexual methods, that is, by the gemmae, which are not the result of fertilization. The name is a compound of the Greek man, and woman.

Plant (gametophyte).--Dull-green, stems slender, rarely 1 1/2 inches high, bearing red-brown felt-like filaments, and usually producing slender leafless shoots terminating with round heads of tiny granular bodies (gemmae).

Leaves.--Narrowly taper-pointed; apex toothed; cells small, round, with tiny projections on each face.

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

Veil (calyptra).--Reaching the middle of the spore-case; long-beaked, split up one side.

Spore-case.--Brown, cylindrical-oblong, furrowed when old; erect, finally horizontal.

Pedicel (seta).--3/4 of an inch long.

Lid (operculum).--Large, conical.

Annulus.--Compound, rolling back as the lid falls.

Teeth (peristome).--As in the genus.

Spores.--Mature in summer.

Distribution.--America, Europe.

Aulacomnium palustre, Schwaegr.

Habit and habitat.--In loose or dense tufts 1 to 5 inches deep, yellow or dirty-green above, red-brown within. Found on borders of swamps, on plains, or on mountains.

Name.--The specific name palustre, Latin, palus, a swamp, refers to the habit of the moss.

Plants (gametophyte).--Robust, closely covered with red-brown felted filaments, often producing whip-like branches with clusters of bud-like growths at the apex.

Leaves.--Usually crowded, more or less crisped and twisted when dry, narrowly lance-shaped; apex obtuse or pointed; margin finely toothed toward the apex, rolled back below; vein vanishing below the apex; cells with tiny projections on both faces.

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

Veil (calyptra).--Split up one side.

Spore-case.--Oblong, unsymmetrical.

Pedicel.--1 to 2 inches long.

Lid (operculum).--Conical.

Annulus.--Large, compound, rolling back as the lid falls.

Teeth (peristome).--Long, acute, the segments of the inner membrane about as long, with 3 to 4 cilia intermediate.

Spores.--Maturing in early summer.

Distribution.--Universal.

Aulacomnium heterostichum, Bruch & Schimp.--See Plate XX.