G2 
On Bog Mosses. 
broadly bordered with narrow cells, the apex somewhat obtuse 
with 3-5 small teeth, not involute at margin. 
Branches 4-5 in a fascicle, two divergent, and arched down- 
ward, the rest pendent, attenuated, closely appressed to the stem 
and concealing it ; those of the coma numerous, short, obtuse, 
squarrose-leaved, forming a large dense capitulum ; retort-cells 
elongated, perforated and slightly recurved at apex. 
Branch leaves densely imbricated, eredo-patent, broadly lance- 
olate, involute in the upper part, when dry ivith the margins 
undulate and points recurved ; apex with 2-3 minute teeth. Border 
of 2-4 rows of extremely narrow elongated cells ; hyaline cells of the 
upper half elongated, filled with annular and spiral fibres, and with 
a few small pores ; of the lower half very long, with annular fibres 
only and no pores ; chlorophyll cells free on the posterior surface, 
trigono-compressed in section. 
Male amentula fusiform, subclavate, ochraceous, the bracts ovate, 
acuminate. Capsules numerous in the capitulum, exserted, and also 
in the upper fascicles. Perichsetium yellow-green, the bracts broadly 
oval, pointed, concave, without fibres or pores ; lower ovate, acumi- 
nate, recurved at apex, upper elliptic oblong, emarginate. Spores 
yellow. 
Yar. (3. riparium. 
o 
Sph. riparium Angst. Ofvers. Yet. Ak. Forli. XXI, p. 198 (1864). Spli. cuspi- 
datum Var. majus Russ. 
Plants taller, dull brownish green. Cauline leaves shortly tri- 
angular, erose and somewhat fringed at apex. Branch leaves 
ovato-lanceolate, without fibres in the apical cells. 
Yar. 7 . speciosum Russo w. 
Plants robust 10-18 in. high, deep green. Capitulum very 
large; branches gradually attenuated from the middle. Cauline 
leaves large, elongated- triangular, often deeply fringed at apex. 
Branch leaves longish lanceolate, with a subulate point, recurved 
when dry, without fibres in the upper cells. 
Hab. — Open moorlands, wet heaths and spongy mountain bogs. 
Frequent. Fr. July. (3, in deep pools. Upland and Westro- 
bothnia. In the Riesengebirge, Labiau in Prussia, Livland. Wool- 
ston Moss, Cheshire (Wilson). 7 , Eastern Europe ; sparingly in 
Silesia, Estland, Courland and Prussia. 
Prof. Schimper unites this plant with the following as Sph. 
cuspidatum Ehrh., regarding the present as the type of the species, 
and the other as a submersed variety, and moreover describes them 
as monoicous. The habit, texture and general facies of the two are 
so dissimilar, that they appear to me always separable by these 
characters alone, and in all the specimens I have examined the 
reproductive organs in both are on separate plants. The points 
