172 The Scottish Naturalist. 



the stem leaf acute and sometimes toothed. The following would be 

 pretty much the order I would propose adopting. 



* Spirals in cortical cells. 

 Cymbifolia. 



S. Atistini 

 S. papillosum 

 S. cymbifolium 

 ^ j * * Without spirals in cortical cells. 



.S I ACUTIFOLIA. 



^\ t Stem leaves squarrose. 



^ S. squarrosu7?i 



1^ ,, var. squatrulosum 



,, var. Ures 

 f + Stem leaves imbricated. 

 S. siridiwi 

 S. fimbriatum 



1 1 + Stem leaves large drawing to a point. 

 8. Angstromi 

 S. molle 



+ + + + Stem leaves scarcely toothed, 

 8. acutifoliu7n and its varieties 

 Crispa. 



*S'. ijitermedium and its varieties 

 /S. cuspidatum and its varieties 

 S. Wulfii 

 S. Lhidbergii 

 SUBSECUNDA. 



iS, coiitorta 



,, var. subseatndmn. 



,, var. obesujn 



,, var. auriculatu7n 

 S. Iaricmu77i 

 S. molhiscum 



,, var. longifoVxnTn 



t t + 1 1 Stem leaves very small ovate. 

 S. compactuJJi. 



By this system the two great divisions refer entirely to the stem leaves, 

 and the minor divisions principally to the branch leaves, by which the 

 botanist in the field with an ordinary pocket lens may easily determine the 

 place of his Sphagna as he collects them. S. co7npactui)i alone is excluded 

 from the two divisions and must take a separate place by itself, and I can 

 not quite see the reason for Dr. Braithwaite and other botanists associating 

 it with 7)iolle which is evidently nearly connected with some of the varities 

 of (S. acutifolhi77i. Yet notwithstanding these differences in opinion regard 

 ing the arrangment and nomenclature of the 8phag7ia Dr Braithwaite's 

 work is one that well deserves a place in every scientific library. — John 

 Sim, Banchory, September, 1877, 



c3 



pi 

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