OF WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA. 41 



branches usually 3, sometimes 4, usually 2 spreading with 

 recurved tips, one or two being pendent and very slender; 

 branch-leaves l^roadly ovate, very conca\'e, usually 2-3 mm. 

 long, the apex toothed, the margin more or less incurved and 

 with a narrow and uniform border; in cros.^-section the chloro- 

 phyllose cells barrel-shaped, free on both surfaces, the hyaline 

 cells about equally convex on both sides; hyaline cells fibril- 

 lose, with numerous small lateral pores on both sides; when 

 dry the leaves towards the base of the spreading branches 

 more or less sub-secund; spores stated by Warnstorf to be 

 .023-.028 mm. in diameter, yellowish and finely papillose. 



In turfy swamps and bogs in Europe and North America, 

 extending in the latter country from Massachusetts to I..ouis- 

 iana, also to Ohio. In our region apparently rare. 



Butler : Open swampy pasture along Brush Creek, near 

 Crider's Corners, April 26, 1908. O. E. J. 

 (Figured). 



17. Sphagnum auriculatum Schimper. 



(S. graz'cfii Russow, p. p. — Warnstorf; S. subsccitiidnm var. 

 intermedium Warnstorf) . 



(Plate IV) 



Densely cespitose, grayish or glaucous green,' light yellow 

 below: stems rather short (In our specimens about 5 cm.), 

 densely branched; branches in fascicles 3-.t, two or three of 

 these drooping from a horizontally spreading base, terete and 

 rather thick, up to 1 cm. long, the other one or two slender, 

 and rather closely appressed to the stem ; in cross-section the 

 cortical cells distinct, in one layer, the outer cells of the central 

 axis much thickened and small; stem-leaves large, 1.5-2.0 

 mm. long, about half as wide, concave, from the distinctly 

 auriculate base oval-Iingulate, the rounded apex narrowly 

 toothed, somewhat' cucullate, the margin narrow and of equal 

 width from base to apex ; cells of the stem-leaves fibrillose 

 to the base or nearly so, only rarely septate, ventrally with 

 rather large poorly defined pores in the cell-angles, rarely 

 none, dorsally with numerous distinct pores along each side 

 of the cell, the pores circular to elliptic and about one-fourth 

 the width of the cell ; retort cells of the branches with a dis- 

 tinct neck and terminal pore ; lower branch-leaves large, about 

 2 mm. long, widely ovate, about 1.5 mm. wide, very concave, 

 the margins more or less involute, the apex somewhat spread- 

 ing, narrowly toothed, the upper leaves more closely imbri- 

 cated and lanceolate ; cells of branch-leaves ^■eutrally with 

 rather few large indistinct angle-pores, dorsally with numer- 

 ous distinct pores in a row along each side, as in the stem- 

 leaves, the hyaline cells usually with 8-10 spiral fibrils, the 



