18. Sphagnum cuspidatum, E h r h a r t .
P l . XXVI. AND XXVII.
Dioicous ; ve ry soft, in loose submersed or floating tufts, pale
or deep green. Stems slender, pale g r e en ; the cuticular cells in
2-3 strata. Stem leaves ovate-oblong, broadly bordered with ve ry
narrow elongated cells, hyaline cells of the upper half with
numerous spiral fibres. Branches divergent, not concealing the
stem; the leaves narrowly lanceolate, la x ly imbricated, flexuose
when dry. Spores ferruginous.
S y n o n .— Sph. palustris mollis deflexi, squamis capillaceis var. ß. fluitans. D i l l .
Hist. Muse. t. 32, fig. 2, B (1741), et Herbar. fol. 32, specimen on the right.
Sph. cuspidatum, E h r h . Dec. Crypt, n. 251 (1791). R o t h . Fl. Germ. iii. p. 120
(1793). H o f f m . Deutschl. Fl. ii. p. 22 (1796)- S m i t h , Fl. Brit. p. 1147 (1804);
Eng. Bot. t. 2092 (1819). T u r n . Muse. Hib. p. 6 (1804). B r i d . Sp. Muse. i.
p. 17 (1806); Mant. Muse. p. 2 (1819), et Bry. Univ. i. p. 14 (1826). W e b . M o h r ,
Bot. Taschenb. p. 74, t. 6, f. 2 (1807). S c h k u h r , Deutschl. Moose, p. 16, t. 7 (1810).
S c h w a g r . Suppl. I. pt. i, p. 16, t. 6 (1811). R o h l in g , Deutschl. Fl. iii. p. 35
(1813). S c h u l t z , Suppl. Fl. Starg. p. 65 (1819). Fl. Danica, t. 1712 (1821).
G r a y , Nat. Arr. Br. Plants, i. p. 710, 4 (1821). S w a r t z , Adnot. Bot. p. 74 (1829).
H ü b e n . Muse. Germ. p. 29 (1833). D o z y , M o l k . Prodr. Fl. Batav. p. 79 (1851).
B e r k e l . Handb. Br. Moss. p. 307 (1863). L in d b . in Öfv. K. Vet. Ak. Förh. xix.
p. 135, n. I (1862). S c h im p . Synops. ed. 2, p. 831 (1876). H a r t m . Skand. Fl. ed.
3-6, e t 8 . K l in g g r . in Sehr. K. Phys. CEk. Gesel. zu Königs. 1 8 7 2 , p. 6. H o b k -
Syn. Br. Moss. p. 2 4 ( 1 8 7 3 ) . B r a i t h w . Sphag. Brit. Exsic. n. 50 ( 1 8 7 7 ) .
Sph. capillaceum v a r . ß. cuspidatum, W a h l . Fl. Lapp. p. 3 0 1 ( 1 8 1 2 ) ; Fl. Suec.
ed. 2, p. 807 (1833).
sph. laxifolium, C. M ü l l . Synops. i. p. 9 7 (1849), et Deutschl. Moose, p. 126
(1853). J e n s e n , Bryol. Dan. p. 48, t. ii. fig. 9 (1856). H a r tm . op. cit. ed. 7,
p. 399. L i n d b . in Bot. Notis. 1856, p. 121. S c h l i e p h . in Verh. Z. B. Gesel. Wien,
1865, p. 396. M i l d e , Bry. Siles. p. 385 (1869).
Sph. cuspidatum var. y. W il s . Bry. Brit. t. 4 (1855).
Sph. cuspidatum ß. submersum, Sc h im p . Torfm. p. 61, t. xvi. fig. i ß (1858), e t
Synops. p. 676 (i860).
Dioicous; in loose submersed or floating t u f t s p la n t s ve ry
soft, light green, deep green, or more or less tinged with yellow or
brown.
Stems slender, flaccid, pale green, 6 -18 in. or sometimes several
feet in le n g th ; cuticular cells not porose, larger, well defined, in
2-3 strata; those of the peripheral layers pale yellowish. Stem
leaves ovate-oblong, pointed, with the margins involute at apex,
broadly bordered with ve ry narrow elongated cells, the hyaline
cells o f the upper half with numerous spiral fibres.
Branches 3-5 in a fascicle, longer, often turned to one side and
falcate at points ; all divergent, cuspidate with the convolute
terminal leaves, or 1 -2 pendent, but not concealing the stem, those
o f the coma few and more lax ; retort cells elongated.
Branch leaves la xly imbricated, narrowly lanceolate, flexuose
when dry, often .somewhat falcato-secund, 3-6 toothed, and with a
broader border o f narrow cells ; hyaline cells elongated, with
annular and spiral fibres and few pores, chlorophyllose cells free
on the posterior surface, trigono-elliptic in section.
Capsules in the capitulum, or scattered on the stem, the peduncles
being often much elongated. Perichætial bracts distant from
each other, ve ry broadly oval, involute at apex, la xly areolate,
with fibres in the upper cells. Spores ferruginous.
Male plants more slender, amentula fusiform, yellowish brown ;
the bracts ovato-lanceolate.
H a b .— Stagnant pools in moorlands ; frequent. Fr. July.
Europe and N. America generally distributed.
T h e chief points o f distinction between this species and the
last are as follows : in Sph. cuspidaltim the plants are more slender,
the pendent branches not closely appressed to stem, the cuticular
cells of the stem well defined from the thicker peripheral layer;
the longer branch leaves not recurved when dry, but slightly
flexuose ; the stem leaves with larger cells, fibrillose in the upper
part, and narrower more elongated ones at the margin ; the more
obtuse perichætial bracts, and lastly the brown spores. It must
also be borne in mind that the two plants not unfrequently grow
together, y e t each retaining its special features.
Var. falcahim, Russow.
More or less submersed, deep green or brownish green.
Branches nearly equal, and especially in the capitulum subsecund,
arcuate at apex. Branch leaves narrowly lanceolate, the terminal
ones falcate.
S y n o n .— Sph. cuspidatum var. e. falcatum, Russ. Beitr. zur Kennt. Torf. p. 59
(1865). S c h im p . Synops. ed. 2, p. 832. B r a i t h w . Sphag. Brit. Exsic. n. 51.
Sph. hypmides, B r a u n , in Bot. Zeit. 1825, No. 4 0 . B r i d . Bry. Univ. i. p. 752
(a young undeveloped state of the plant).
Sph. cuspidatum var. hypmides, S c h im p . Torfm. p. 61, t. 16, f. e.
H a b .— In deep pools. Not unfrequent.
In its extreme form this constitutes a well-marked variety, but
transition states exist which gradually connect it with the type.
G 2