36 THE SPHAGNACE OR PEAT-MOSSES OF 
Sph. cymbifolium, AUCT. p. p. et var. y. SCHIMP. Synops. ed. 2, p. 848 (1876). 
Sph. cymbifolium var. a. turgidum, Martius, Fl. Crypt. Erlang. p. 117 (1817). 
Nees, in Bryol. Germ. i. p. 8, tab. 1, fig. 1. Brip. Bry. Univ. i. p. 4. (Sententia 
Lindbergii huc pertinet.) 
Sph. immersum, CASSEBEER, Wetterauische Laubmoose, n. 8 (1832). 
Sph. palustre, BROTHERUS, Musci Fennie Exsic. n. 43 (1871). 
Dioicous; in lax distinct tufts, or intermixed with other 
species; pale ochraceous or pale brownish green, never tinged 
with purple. 
Stems 4-10 in. high, simple or bipartite, stout, fragile, reddish 
brown; cells of the peripheral layers strongly incrassate, dark 
brown; cuticular cells in four strata, those of the innermost and 
outermost layer being the smallest, the external without fibres, but 
with several pores. Stem leaves reflexed and appressed to stem, 
cucullate, spathulate-linguiform, rounded, obtuse and slightly fim- 
briate at apex, somewhat auricled at base, margin plane, serrulate ; 
lowest basal cells brownish, globose, incrassate, above rhombic, 
faintly fibrose, and with a single foramen at back. 
Ramuli 3-5 in a fascicle, two divergent, short, acute, the rest 
dependent, attenuated, appressed to stem; cuticular cells densely 
fibrose, rectangular, with a large foramen at upper end. 
Leaves of divergent branches dense, rigid, patent, slightly 
auricled, coloured brown at apex; lowest small, obliquely ovato- 
triangular, with a broad hyaline border, median very broadly ovate, 
cymbiform-concave, rounded obtuse at apex, deeply cucullate, 
bordered with a single row of very narrow cells, margin densely 
serrulate above. 
Cells at base as in the stem leaves; all the hyaline internally 
where their walls are united with those of the chlorophyllose cells, 
densely and minutely papillose; median prosenchymatous with 
dense spiral and annular fibres, and several large marginal 
foramina on the under surface ; upper rhombic, with foramina also 
on the upper surface, and in the apical the foramen at back is so 
large that nearly all the membrane disappears, and thus the 
tuberculate appearance is produced; in section the chlorophy]l- 
lose cells are narrowly elliptical, central, and enclosed by the 
hyaline. 
Perichztia several, placed in the coma; bracts about eighteen, 
large, accrescent, erect, oblong, rounded, truncate and cucullate at 
apex, channelled-plicate ; cells in the middle of lower half of two 
forms, very large and long, pleurenchymatous without papilla or 
