Sphagnum.] SPHAGXACE^. 13 



1. S. acutifoliura, Ehrli. Monoecious, green or more gen- 

 erally purplish ; cortical zone of the steins a triple layer of cells 

 destitute of pores ; branches in fascicles of 3 to 5, spreading, 

 one or two of them pendent : stem-leaves ovate or Ungulate, erose 

 or dentate at the apex, erect, the cells near the apex with a few 

 slender fibrils or none, rarely porose ; branch-leaves deeply con- 

 cave, ovate-lanceolate, tapering to a truncate point, the upper 

 lanceolate and subulate, all fibrillose, porose, and narrowly mar- 

 gined ; i^erichaetial leaves oblong, gradually acuminate, sinuose- 

 dentate at the recurved apex, the cells irregular and emjity : 

 capsule long-pedicellate : spores ferruginous : male aments gen- 

 erally red. — PL Crypt. Exsic. n. 72 ; Schimp. Torfm. 56, 1. 13 ; 

 Braithw. Sj^hag. 66, t. 18-20. >S. nemoreum, Scop.; Lindberg, 

 Sphag. 52. S. cajnllifoUum, Hedw., in part. 



Var. purpureum, Schimp, Plants purple ; the capitulum 

 dense, subspherical : stem-leaves fibrillose. 



Var. fuscum,, Schimp. Plants rust-color, in very comjiact 

 tufts ; branches closely incurved, pale at the apex. 



Hab. Very common, in open or shaded bogs, in valleys or on moun- 

 tains. 



Many otlier varieties could be described : var. confertum, intermedium, 

 &j\(\.robustum, Austin; })atulum anddeflexum, Scliimper; quinquefariiun, 

 Lindb. ; elegans, Braithw., etc. ; the plants differing generally to some ex- 

 tent in their aspect according to their siDecial habitat. 



2. S. rubellum, Wils. Very much like the last, from which 



it differs in its dioecious inflorescence, more slender and very 



soft stems, shorter and mox-e obtuse oval-oblong branch-leaves 



3-toothed at apex, and broad obtuse stem-leaves with utricles 



bipartite and sometimes fibx'illose. — Bryol. Brit. 19, t. 60 ; 



Schimp. Torfm. 70, t. 20. /S. acuti/olium, var. rubellum, 



Russ. ; Braithw. Sphag. 69, t. 19. 



Hab. New Brunswick (Fowler). Eare or rarely observed in this 

 country. 



3. S. strictum, Lindb, Dioecious, robust, yellowish-green ; 

 stems long, solid, with 3 or 4 cortical layers of porose cells ; 

 branches 3 to 5, curved and deflexed, two of them pendent : 

 stem-leaves large, erect, lingulate-spatulate, erose-laciniate at the 

 truncate apex, broadly margined and slightly appendiculate at 

 base, with empty cells ; branch-leaves erect-spreading, ovate- 

 lanceolate, subulate at the top of the branches ; cells closely 

 fibrillose, with numerous pores ; perichrotial leaves oblong or 



