Mosses from XVIth to XIXth century

Medieval manuscripts illustrate only one moss. The first authors of the Renaissance as Brunfels, Fuchs or Dodoens, point out their descriptions, illustrations and comments, two or three species. In the eighteenth century, the use of the microscope will allow some progress in the study of these small size plants. Micheli, in 1729, will make the first observations ; Dillenius, around 1740, will synthetise the knowledges of that time about the mosses ; Hedwig, at the end of the century, will separate the mosses from the other plants. The authors of the nineteenth century will describe number of species in their works, sometimes richly illustrated.