T
Sph. cymbifolium, A u c t . p. p. et var. y. S c h im p . Synops. ed. 2 , p. 848 (1876).
Sph. cymbifolmm var. a. iurgidiim, M a r t i u s , FI. Crypt. Erlang, p. 117 (1817).
N e e s , in Bryol. Germ. i. p. 8, tab. i, fig. i. B r i d . Bry. Univ. i. p. 4. (Sententià
Lindbergii hue pertinet.)
Sph. immersum, C a s s e b e e r , Wetterauische Laubmoose, n. 8 (1832).
Sph. palustre, B r o t h e r u s , Musci Fenniie Exsic. n. 43 (1871).
D io ico u s ; in lax distinct tufts, or intermixed with other
sp e c ie s ; pale ochraceous or pale brownish green, never tinged
with purple.
Stems 4 -10 in. high, simple or bipartite, stout, fragile, reddish
b row n ; cells o f the peripheral layers strongly incrassate, dark
b row n ; cuticular cells in four strata, those o f 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 fimbriate
at apex, somewhat auricled at base, margin plane, serru la te ;
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 s tem ; cuticular cells densely
fibrose, rectangular, with a large foramen at upper end.
Lea ve s o f divergent branches dense, rigid, patent, slightly
auricled, coloured brown at a p e x ; lowest small, obliquely ovato-
triangular, with a broad hyaline border, median ve ry broadly ovate,
cymbiform-concave, rounded obtuse at apex, deeply cucullate,
bordered with a single row o f v e ry narrow cells, margin densely
serrulate above.
Cells at base as in the stem le a v e s ; all the hyaline internally
where their walls are united with those o f the chlorophyllose cells,
densely and minutely p ap illo se ; 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 chlorophyllose
cells are narrowly elliptical, central, and enclosed by the
hyaline.
PerichiEtia several, placed in the com a ; bracts about eighteen,
large, accrescent, erect, oblong, rounded, truncate and cucullate at
apex, channelled-plicate; cells in the middle o f lower half o f two
forms, ve ry large and long, pleurenchymatous without papillae or
fibres, and chlorophyllose; in the upper half papillose and fibrose
with foramina on both sides, as are also the marginal nearly to
base.
Capsule subglobose, brown ; spores ferruginous.
Male plants in distinct tufts, resembling the fem a le ; amentula
apical on divergent branches, ochraceous or brownish ; bracts round,
cochleari-concave, with the structure like that o f the branch leaves ;
the barren branches o f the coma few and short, as compared with
those o f Sph. cymbifolium.
H a b .— The smaller peat-bogs in subalpine districts, and especially in drains and
cuttings filled with water. Fr. July.
E u r o p e .— Fmland: First found at Helsingfors by Lindberg, and since in various
other places and in the islands of Hogland and Aland. Sweden, Norway: Dovreijeld,
Christiania, &c. (Blytt). Germany, Westphalia, &c. England: Darnholm, Goathland,
Yorkshire (Braithwaite); Penzance (Curnow); Barrowfield, intermixed with Sph.
cymbifolium, and Witherslack Moss, Westmoreland, in fine fruit (Barnes). Scotland:
Ben Lawers, Perthshire; moors near Loch Achilty, Ross, and near Garynahine, Isl.
Lewis, Hebrides (Braithwaite); Dalfroo and Dalbrake bogs, Strachan, Kincardine,
and Reawick, Shetland (Sim). Ireland: Killarney, Brandon Mountains, &c. (Moore,
Lindberg).
N. A m e r i c a .— Has been found mixed with Sph. cymbifolium.
This elegant species has, no doubt, been always mistaken for
Sph. cymbifolium, but in the growing state it has quite a different
aspect, being a coarser and more rigid plant, and when removed
from the water the branches retain their position and do not fall
down and collapse against the stem, and they are much shorter
and less attenuated at points.
T h e plants are generally more or less tinged with ochraceous,
and this tint is most conspicuous on the apices of the branch leaves,
showing much more affinity to Sph. A u s lin i than to Sph. cymbifolium.
T h e papillse which cover the internal walls o f the
combined hyaline and chlorophyllose cells are somewhat variable
in distinctness, but with a good illumination are seen to differ in
size and to be in form o f a low obtusely-pointed cone. Professor
Schimper strangely regards these characters as o f small importance,
and not sufficient to constitute a species.
Var. /8. confertum, L indb.
Plants much smaller, dense, frequently dichotomous. Branch
leaves round, deeply cochleari-concave and obtuse. Bracts of perichaetium
shorter.