14 GYMNOSTOMI. [Sphagnum. 



cumstance to be attributed to the exposure of tbe plant and its 

 frequent vicissitudes of temperature ; and can assuredly yield 

 no character of importance. The Sphagnum oblongum of Pa- 

 lisot de Beauvois, is probably the same state of the plant. A 

 singular appearance of this species, not noticed above, is that 

 which has been found by Dr. Greville in pools of water in a 

 peat moss near Edinburgh, where the stems attain the length 

 of a foot and a half, are almost entirely simple, and, for the 

 greater part, destitute of leaves. 



It may here be observed that the Sph. subsecundum and 

 tenellum of Nees and Hornschuch seem to connect our S. ob- 

 tusifolium with S. squarrosum, as the S. contortum of Schultz 

 does with S. acutifolium. 



2. S. squarrosum ; branches attenuated at the extremities, leaves 



ovato-acuminate squarrose recurved. (TAB. IV.) 



Sphagnum squarrosum. Web. et Mohr, It. Suec. t. 2. f. 1. a. b. 



Engl Bot. t. 1498. Schwaegr. Suppl v. 1. p. 13. Brid. Meth. p. 2. 



Nees et Hornsch. Bryol. Germ. v. 1. p. 9. t. 1. f. 3. Moug. et Nestl. n. 



209. Funck, Deutschl. Moose, t. 3. n. 4. Hook. Fl. Scot. P. II. p. 



121. Hobson, Brit. Mosses, v. 1. n. 5. Drummond, Muse. Scot. v. 2. 



n. 4. Am. Disp. Muse. p. 6. 

 HAB. Bogs, not rare. 



Scarcely is this species to be distinguished from the preced- 

 ing one, but by its more acuminated leaves, and by their being 

 bent back in so remarkable a manner as to give the whole 

 plant a very squarrose appearance. 



3. S. acutifolium; branches attenuated, leaves ovato-lanceolate 



crowded. (TAB. IV.) 



Sphagnum acutifolium. Ehrh. Crypt, n. 72. (according to Smith.} 

 Schwaegr. Suppl. v. I. p. 15. t. 5. Funck, Deutschl. Moose, t. 3. n. 8. 

 Hook. Fl. Scot. P. II. p. 121. Hobson, Brit. Mosses, v. 1. n. 4. 

 Drummond, Muse. Scot. v. 1. n. 1. Am. Disp. Muse. p. 6. Nees et 

 Hornsch. Bryol. Germ. v. 1. p. 19. t. 3. / 8. Hook, in Kunth. Syn. 

 PL (Equin. v. 1. p. 46. 



S. capillifolium. Hedw. Sp. Muse. p. 28. Smith, Fl. Brit. p. 1146. 

 Engl. Bot. t. 1406. Moug. et Nestl n, 11. Brid. Meth. p. 2. fS. 

 pentastichon of the same author, and S. recurvum of Palisot de Beauvois, 

 which have the extremities of their leaves slightly recurved, and S. subulatum, 

 Brid.). 



S. intermedium. Hoffm. Germ. v. 2. p. 22. 



