72 THE SPHAGNACE& OR PEAT-MOSSES OF 



faintly fibrillose in the upper part. Fascicles distant above, closer 



below, the branches spreading, arcuato-decurved, unequal in length, 



some being attenuated at point, others not ; the leaves short, 



obtuse, toothed, their hyaline cells very small in the upper half, 



with very small pores bordered by stout rings. 



Synon. — Russow, Beitr. Torfm. p. 44. 



Hab. — Bogs at borders of moorlands. Frequent about Dorpat (Russow). 

 Kardis (Bruttan). 



In some respects this approaches to the var. rubellum, with 

 which it quite agrees in the form and structure of the stem leaf ; 

 the branch leaves differ in structure, though similar in form, and 

 the habit is altogether more lax. 



Var. 6. elegans, Braithw. 



Stems slender, dichotomous, 4-8 in. high, fastigiate, in very 

 densely cushioned tufts, rosy purple above, dirty white below. 

 Stem leaves very long, oblong, suddenly contracted at apex into an 

 obtuse 5 -toothed point, fibrillose in the upper half, with a few 

 pores. 



Branches in densely placed fascicles, and forming a small, dense, 

 hemispherical capitulum ; divergent ones short, slender, often 

 white at points, arcuato-decurved; the leaves small, closely imbri- 

 cated, rather obtuse, 5-toothed. 



Synon. — Braithw. Sphag. Brit. Exsic. n. 35. 



Hab. — Elevated peat-moors. 



Scotland: Ross-shire, at edge of ravines on Little Wyvis, Strath Garve, and 

 moors near Loch Achilty (Braithwaite, July, 1876) ; Hebrides, Isl. of Lewis, 

 intermixed with S. Austini, fi. (forma nanum). 



This beautiful peat-moss must, I think, have been confounded 

 with some of the other red forms, as it is plentiful in the localities 

 noted. The Hebridean plant does not exceed 2 inches in height, 

 and has the branches ascending, but structurally agrees with the 

 larger form. 



Var. i./uscum, Schimp. 



In very dense, fastigiate, cushioned tufts, cinnamon brown above, 

 fuscous below. Stems very long and slender, the cells of the peri- 

 pheral layers dark brown, densely and uniformly ramulose ; ramuli 

 short, pale at apex, the pendent ones often whitish. Stem leaves 

 without fibres, ovate, truncate and lacerate at point. Branch 



