70 



THE SPHAGNACEA^. OR PEATMOSSES OF 



lii' 



1.1 



Silesia, Thuringia, Prussia, Salzburg, Holland. Engliunl ; Frequent in Lancashire, 

 Yorkshire, and Westmoreland ; found also in other counties and in Scotland and 

 Ireland. 



N. America. — Has been found occasionally. 



After the examination of many specimei's from Wilson himself, 



and from all parts of the kingdom, I feel compelled reluctantly to 



follow Russow in reducing Sph. rubclhim to one of the long 



chain of varieties which constitute the polymorphous Sph. acnti- 



folium. 



We may briefly consider the various points of distinction referred 

 to by Wilson and Schimper. 



1. The small size and delicacy of the plants. — This condition 



is only relative, as specimens of rnbclhim 6 inches high 

 are not unfrequent, while other varieties o{ acntifolitini are 

 found of even smaller size than ordinary rnbclhim. 



2. The dioicous inflorescence. — This is the strongest point for 



the specific character of Sph. rtibcllmn, but other varieties 

 of acnti/oliufu are also dioicous, nay, I believe at times 

 its typical form is so. 



3. The larger non-fibrose stem leaves. — A reference to the 



plates will suffice to show that stem leaves of rubellnm 

 are not larger than those of typical actitifolinm ; and again 

 in rnbcllum, threads are frequently present, and sometimes 

 they are quite wanting in the cells of the stem leaves of 

 acutifoliwn. 

 . 4. The broader elliptical branch leaves. — The lowest leaves of 

 the divergent branches are very broad and obtuse, and 

 those from the middle moderately so; in no case have I seen 

 them truly elliptical, and often on the same plant others 

 will be found moderately pointed, while other varieties, 

 e. g. tcnue, arc turn, fit sewn, &c., have them quite as 

 obtuse, neither is their subsecund direction constant. 



Sufficient, I think, has therefore been advanced to show that 

 Sph. rubellnm possesses no character of sufficient weight to entitle it 

 to specific distinction ; the upper branches are usually twisted, but 

 this is by no means constant, and occasionally we find specimens 

 with very little admixture of red, being either dull green or a pale 

 brown with only the comal branches purple, and for this form I 

 have used the name ambiguum. 



w 



