S y n o n .— Sph. Girgensohnii var. squarrosulum, Russow, Torfm. p. 47.
Synop. ed. 2, p. 828.
Hab.— Wet grassy places, at Appelsee and Ziegelskoppel, near Dorpat.
14. Sphagnum acutifolium, E h r h a r t .
Pl. XVIII.-XXI.
Monoicous or dioicous ; pale, green, usually tinged with purple.
Cuticular cells in 3-4 strata. Stem leaves ovate, acute, 5-toothed
at apex, broadly bordered with narrow cells. Branches 3-5 in a
fascicle, their leaves ovato-lanceolate, toothed at the slightly
truncate apex, margin involute in the upper third ; chlorophyllose
cells obtusely trigonous, placed between the hyaline at concave
surface o f leaf.
S y n o n . M uscus e r e c iu s p a lu s t r i s a lh u s , f o l i i s ca pilla c e is , D o o d y , R a y , Syn. ed. 2,
‘'IPP- 338 (1696).
Sphagnum caulif ;rum et ramosum palustre molle candicans, reflexis ramulis, foliolis
angustioribus. D ill. Cat. Giss. 229 (1719), et in Ray, Syn. ed. 3, p. 104, 2 (1724).
Sph.palustre, molle deflexum, squamis capillaceis, D ill. Hist. Muse. p. 243, t. 32,
f. 2A (1741), et Herbar. n. 2, two spec, on left hand.
Sph. palustre, ß. L. Sp. Pl. p. 1569 (1753). H u b s . Fl. Angl. p. 463 (1762).
H e d w . Fund. Muse. i. t . 3, f. 13-15 (1781). R o t h , W i t h e r . W e i s s , H u l l , & c .
Sph. acutifolium, E h r h . Pl. Crypt. Exsic. n . 72 (1786). S c h r a d . Spie. Fl. Germ,
p. 58 (1794)- S c h u l t z , Fl. Starg. p. 275 (1806). W e b . M o h r , Bot. Tasch. p. 73
(1807). S c h k u h r , Deutschl. Moose, p. 15, t. 6 (1810). S c h w a e g r . Suppl. I. pt. i,
P- I?! t. 5 (i8 ii). R o h l in g , Deutschl. Fl. iii. p. 36 (1813). Fl. Danica, t. 1531
(1816). H o o k . T a y l . Muse. Brit. p. 4, t. 4 (1818). F u n c k , Taschenh. p. 5, t. 3
(1821). G r a y , Nat. Arr. Brit. Plants, i. p. 710, 3 (1821). Z e n k . D i e t r . Muse.
Thuring. fasc. i , n. 20 (1821). N e e s , H s c h . S t . Bryol. Germ. i. p. 19, t. 3, f. 8,
et 8** (1823). H ü b e n . Muse. Germ. p. 28 (1833). D e N o t . Syll. Muse. Ital.
p. 297 (1838). C. M ü l l . Synops. i. p. 96 (1849). Dozv, M o l k e n b . Prodr. Fl.
Batav. p. 78 (1851). W i l s . Bryol. Brit. p. 20, t. 4 (1855). S u l l . Mosses of Un.
St. p. 12, n. II {1856). H a r t m . Skand. FI. S c h im p . Torfm. p. 56, t. 13 (1858);
Synops. p. 672 (i860), et ed. 2, p. 825 (1876). L i n d b . in Öfv. K. Vet. Ak. Förh.
xix. p. 138, n . 5 (1862). B e r k e l . Handb. Br. Moss. p. 307, t. 2, f. 4 (1863).
Russow, Torfm. p. 37 (1865). S c h l i e p h . in Verh. Z. B. Gesel. Wien, 1865, p. 389.
K l in g g r . in Sehr, der K. Phys. Qìk. Gesel, zu Königs. 1872, p. 2. M i l d e , Bryol.
Siles. p. 381 (1869). H o b k . Syn. Br. Mos. p. 24 (1873). B r a i t h w . Sphag. Brit.
Exsic. n. 31 et 42 b (1877).
Sph. capillifolium, E h r h . Hann. Mag. 1780, p. 35. S c h r a n k , Baiersch. Fl. ii.
P- 4 3 4 (1789). M c e n c h , Pl. Marburg, p. 727 (1794). S w t z . Act. Holm. 1795,
p. 281. B r i d . Muse. Rec. ii. pt. i, p. 24 (1798); Sp. Muse. i. p. 16 (1806);
Mantissa, p. i (1819); Bryol. Univ. i. p. 11 (1826). H e d w . Sp. Muse. p. 28 (i8oi).
r
Var. /3. sqtiarrosulum, Russow.
Plants v e ry small, branch leaves recurved at apex ; branches
shorter, scarcely curved.
S c h im p .
I
EUROPE AND N O R TH AMERICA. 67
S m i t h , II. Bnt. p. 1146 (1804); Eng. Bot. t. 1406 (1815). T u r n e r , Muse. Hib.
p. 6 (1804). P. B e a u v . Prodr. p. 87 (1805). L a m a r c k et C a n d . Fl. Franc i
p. 4 4 5 ( i 8 ° 5 )-
sph. capiUaccum, S w a r t z , Muse. Suec. p. 18 (1798). W a h l e n b . Fl. Lapp, p
302 (1812), et Fl. Carpat. p. 333 (1814).
sph. pcntastichum, B r i d . Sp. Muse. i. p. 16 (1806); Mant. Muse. p. 2 (1819)
Sph. capuiifolioides, B r e u t e l , Bot. Zeit. 1824, p. 438. B r i d . Bry. Univ. i. p. 751.
Sph. aschcrbachianum, B r e u t e l , 1. c. p. 439.
Sph. subulatum, B r i d . Sp. Muse. i. p. 19; Mant. Muse. p. 3 , et Bry. Univ
i. p. 18. S c h w a g r . Suppl. I. pt. i, p. i8.
Monoicous or sometimes dioicous ; in soft tufts, pale green,
usually more or less tinged with purple. Stems slender, dichoto^
mous, pale ; cuticular cells generally without pores, in 3-4 strata ;
cells o f the peripheral layers incrassate, purple. Stem leaved
erect, ovato-acuminate, concave, with the margin incurved, minutely
auricled at base, 5-toothed at apex ; hyaline cells o f the middle
base hexagono-rhomboid, with one or two oblique partitions,
without fibres or pores, the upper also divided, and often slightly
fibrillose, lateral v e ry narrow and forming a broad border,
gradually decreasing in width toward apex.
Ramuli 3-5 in a fascicle, 2-3 arcuato-divergent, 1 -2 pendent,
filiform, all more or less attenuated at points; their retort cells
fiask-shaped, subcylindric, perforated and slightly recurved at apex.
Ramuhne leaves minute and ovate at base, median ovato-
lanceolate, erecto-patent, deeply concave, uppermost narrowly
lanceolate, all toothed at the slightly truncate apex, and with the
margin involute in the upper third ; hyaline cells confiuent at back,
with a few large pores and annular fibres, those o f the upper half
of leaf much smaller, more densely fibrose, and with smaller pores ;
border extremely narrow, o f two rows o f long thin cells ; chloro^
phyllose cells obtusely trigonous, interposed between the hyaline
at the concave surface o f leaf.
Capsules numerous, usually clustered in the capitulum; peduncle
moderately elongated, the bracts numerous, straw-coloured
or reddish, lowest broadly ovate, acuminate, concave, median
oblong, narrowed at apex, uppermost elongated, convolute; the
hyaline cells narrower and more solid than in the cauline leaves,
with 2-3 partitions, but no fibres or pores. Spores ferruginous!
Male inflorescence purple, in clavate acute amentula ; the bracts in
five rows, ovate, acute.
H a b . Heaths and bogs, forming loose cushions. Common throughout Europe
and North America. Fr. July.