32 THE SPHAGNA CE^E OR PEAT-MOSSES OF 



Group A.— CYMBIFOLIA. 



Plants robust. Branches turgid, those of the coma rounded 

 and obtuse at apex, the cuticular cells fibrillose ; branch leaves im- 

 bricated, very broad, cymbiform-concave, ovate or roundish, with 

 an involute rounded cucullate apex. 



i. Sphagnum Portoricense, Hampe. 



Pl. II. 



Dioicous ? tall, robust, fuscescent ; the stem with 2-3 layers of 

 cuticular cells. Stem leaves subquadrate-ovate, fimbriate all round 

 the margin. Divergent branches subclavate-fusiform, with closely 

 imbricated leaves, the cuticular cells spirally fibrillose, their trans- 

 verse walls geniculate downwards. Branch leaves orbiculate-ovate, 

 cucullate, squamose at back, minutely fimbriate all round the 

 margin ; chlorophyllose cells triangular in section, placed between 

 the hyaline on inner surface of leaf and crested with papillae 

 where united to them. 



Synon.— Sph. Portoricense, Hampe, Linnsea, 1852, p. 359. Suluvant, Ic. 

 Muse. p. 3, tab. 2 (1864). Austin, Muse. Appalach. No. 1 (1870). 

 Sph. Sullivantianum, Austin, in Amer. Journ. Sci. 1863, p. 252. 



Dioicous ? in large soft tufts, pale fuscous below, pale glaucous 

 green above. Stems 8-14 in. high, stout, simple or bipartite, firm, 

 pale brown ; cuticular cells in 2-3 layers, containing spiral fibres, 

 but few pores. Stem leaves erect or deflexed, auricled, sub- 

 quadrate-ovate, fringed round the entire margin ; upper cells 

 rhomboidal, lower elongated, all without fibres or pores. 



Ramuli 4-5 in a fascicle, 2-3 divergent, arcuato-patent, sub- 

 clavate-fusiform, attenuated at base, the leaves julaceously im- 

 bricated ; pendent branches more slender, lax-leaved. Cuticular 

 cells spirally fibrillose, with few pores, the transverse walls geni- 

 culate downward into the subjacent cells, and usually having a pore 

 at the apex of the bend. 



Leaves of the divergent branches small below, and widely 

 cordate or semicircular, becoming larger above, narrowed at base, 

 the median orbiculate-ovate, squamoso-scabrous at back of the 

 strongly cucullate apex, very narrowly bordered ; all minutely 

 fimbriate throughout, the fibrils of the fringe formed by the com- 

 missural walls of destroyed hyaline cells ; lower hyaline cells 

 elongato-rhomboidal, upper rhombic, with parallel linear papillae 



