I
oblong, upper v e ry broad, convolute, cucullate when young, obtuse
or emarginate or with a small central apiculus, rather la xly areolate,
without fibres or pores. Spores ferruginous.
Male amentula elongated, fusiform, yellowish green ; the bracts
ovate, acute.
H a e.— Bogs and marshy hollows. Fr. June and July.
E u r o p e .— Not uncommon in the north. Scandinavia, Silesia, Prussia, Thuringia,
Brandenburg, Holland, Belgium. Englatid: Frequent in Lancashire and Yorkshire.
Scotland: Sporadically as far north as Shetland.
N. A m e r ic a .— Not common.
T his species is readily distinguished by its pale green colour,
and large obovate stem leaves, la x ly areolate and fringed all round
the upper half. It does not appear to be subject to much variation,
except in the length o f the stem or depth o f colour, which is
never tinged with purple.
13. Sphagnum strictum, L in d b e rg .
Pl. XVII.
Dioicous; yellowish green. Cuticular cells o f stem in 3 -4
strata. Stem leaves lingulate-spathulate, truncate and laciniate-
fimbriate at apex, but not below the rounded apical angles ;
broadly bordered with narrow cells. Branch leaves ovato-lanceolate,
the chlorophyllose cells trigonous, nearest the upper surface
o f leaf. Perichætial bracts obovate-oblong, pointed. Male
amentula elongated, clavate.
Sy n o n .— strictum, L in d b . M ss. et in Öfv. K. Vet. Ak. Förh. xix. p. 138 (1862),
(ut forma Sph. fimiriati). H a r tm . Skand. Fl. ed. 10 (1871). B r a it h w . in Monthl!
Micr. Journ. June, 1874, p. 256, t. 66, et Sphag. Brit. Exsic. n. 42 (1877).
Sph. Girgensohnii, Russow, Beitr. Torf. p. 46 (1865). M il d e , Bry. Siles. p. 387
(1869). K l in g g . in Sehr, der K . Phys. CEk. Gesel. zu Königs. 1872, p . 3. Su l l iv .
Icon. Muse. Suppl. t. 5, p. 14 (1875). S c h im p . Synops. ed. 2, p . 827 (1876).
Sph. fimbriatum v ar. majus, A u c t .
Dioicous; resembling Sph. fimbriatum, but more robust,
yellowish or pale brownish green, in la x tufts. Stem straight,
pale, 6 -10 in. high, with 3 -4 layers o f porose cuticular cells, those
o f the peripheral layers pale green. Stem leaves erect, appressed
to stem, ligulate-spathulate, truncate and laciniate-fimbriate at
apex, but not below the rounded apical angles ; hyaline cells of
upper part rhombic, o f middle base rhomboidal, free from fibres
and pores, lateral o f base ve ry narrow, and with the chlorophyllose
cells forming a ve ry broad border extending up to apex.
Ramuli 3-4 in a fascicle, o f which 2-3 are arcuato-divergent,
flagelliform, the others deflexed, filiform, appressed to s tem ; retort
cells elongated, perforated, scarcely recurved. Ramulin e'leave s
erecto-patent, ovato-lanceolate and lanceolate, bidentate and
sometimes recurved at apex ; hyaline cells with annular and spiral
fibres and numerous large pores ; chlorophyllose cells trigono-com-
pressed, nearest the upper surface o f leaf.
Capsules in the capitulum or upper fascicles, bracts pale green,
the lower ovato-acuminate, upper obovate-oblong, convolute,'
obtusely pointed, rather densely areolate, without fibres or pores.
Male plants resembling the female, amentula numerous,
elongated, thickish, clavate, ochraceous or brown, the antheridia
confined to the terminal portion ; bracts broadly ovate, acuminate.
H ab.— Shallow bogs on subalpine heaths. Fr. July.
E u r o p e .— Scandinavia and North Germany, frequent; Black Forest, Thuringia,
Styria, and the Alps; Weissenburg, in the Jura, and near Eichstätt; Bohemia, at
Iserwiese and Elbwiese (Milde). Scotland: Ben Ledi (Dr. Stirton), Ben Lawers,
. Killin, Stroneuch Rocks in Glen Lyon, Banchory, and Clova (Hunt), near Lodi
Maree (Boswell). England: Skegglesmere and Dent, Yorkshire (Barnes).
N. A m e r ic a .— Northern New Jersey to Canada.
This species stands intermediate between Sph. acutifiolium and
Sph. fimbriatum, and has, no doubt, been mistaken for both ; it is a
stouter plant than Sph. fimbriatum, with shorter and thicker
branches, and the male plant is conspicuous by its clavate inflorescence
; the form o f the stem lea f is, however, the distinctive
character by which they may always be separated ; this is truncate
and fringed only at the apex in Sph. strictum, but in Sph. fim briatum
it is rounded and the fringe runs half-way down the
lateral margin.
From Sph. acutifolium in its ordinary state it is also readily
known by never having the slightest tinge o f red, but a form of
that species occurs with the apex o f the stem leaves more or less
lacerate-toothed; here the numerous purple male amentula which
are generally present suffice to indicate its true place ; it was,
however, issued in the Sphag. B r it. Exsic. as Sph. strictum, under
42 b, and appears worthy to rank as a separate variety, which
may be named subfimbriatum.
Th e fruit is v e ry rare, and for the specimens figured I am indebted
to the kindness o f my friend Professor L in d b e rg ; Russow
states that he has it richly fruiting from Isl. Sagchalin, in Japan.