Stem leaves numerous, resembling the branch leaves, erect,
ovate-oblong, concave, rounded and minutely erose at apex, the
hyaline cells fibrillose.
Branches solitary, or 2-3 in a fascicle at the lower part o f stem,
short, terete, obtuse, arcuato-decurved, the cuticular cells small,
the retort cells few, narrowly cylindric, not recurved at apex.
Branch leaves la x ly imbricated, v e ry small, ovate, obtuse, the
margin incurved in the upper third, entire at apex ; hyaline cells
with strong annular fibres, and without pores, in section circular,
separated both in front and back by the chlorophyllose cells, which
are ve ry thick and oval or obtusely trigonous in section.
Capsules immersed on shorter lateral branches on the upper
third of stem, small, globose ; perichætial bracts rather lax, similar
to the leaves, but longer.
Male plants more slender, amentula somewhat inflated, on the
upper branches, the bracts resembling the branch leaves.
H a b .— Peat-bogs and stagnant pools.
N. A m e r ic a .— Newfoundland (La Pylaie) ; Table Rock, S. Carolina (Lesquereux)
; Willey Mountain, New Hampshire (James) ; Adirondack Mountains, New
York (Peck) ; New Jersey (Austin).
Var. /8. sedoides (B r id .) , Lind b.
S y n o n .— Sph. sedoides, B r id . B ry. Univ. i. p. 750, et var. prosiratuni (1826).
Su l l . Muse. Allegh. n. 208 (1845). Su l l . L e s q . Muse. Bor.-Amer. n. 3 (1856).
Su l l . Mosses of Un. St. p. 12, n. 8 (1856), et Ic. Muse. p. 11, t. 6 (1864). A u s t in ,
Muse. Appal, n. 24 (1870).
Stem procumbent at base, ascending, 3-5 in. high, simple or
with a few short scattered branches, fragile, flaccid, dull pale green,
the upper part vinous red. L ea ve s large, v e ry densely imbricated,
oblong-ovate, concave, obtuse, entire or eroso-denticulate, with a
border o f two rows o f extremely narrow cells ; hyaline cells elongated,
with annular fibres, and a ve ry few minute pores. Branch
leaves similar, but smaller.
H a b .— Peat-bogs. Newfoundland (La Pylaie) ; wet margins of Table Rock,
S. Carolina (Gray and Lesquereux) ; Mount Marey, New York (Torrey) ; Adirondack
Mountains, New York (Peck).
Sph. Pylaiei and its variety have been regarded by most
authors as doubtful species, but the form and position o f the fruit,
and the structure of the leaves and stem are so distinct, that there
can be no hesitation in maintaining its right not only to spetific
rank, but also to that of a separate section in the genus, as indicated
by Professor Lindberg under the appropriate title o f Hemitheca.
T h e var. sedoides bears the same relation to the type as the var.
cyclophyllum does to Sph. laricimim. Perhaps the most singular
feature o f the plant is the v e ry small capsule, which appears to
have been overlooked until collected b y Austin, and even when
present, some care is required before it can be detected, so completely
is it concealed by the perichætial bracts.
Sect. I I I .— IsocLADus, Lindb.
Plants whitish, glossy, resembling some species o f Leucobryum,
rigid, fragile. Branches acute in distant fascicles o f 2-5, all
arcuato-divergent, subclavate. Branch leaves ve ry large, accrescent,
distant, spreading, lanceolate; the cells v e ry narrow, serpentine,
without fibres, but with a central longitudinal series o f pores.
P erichætial bracts divergent, resembling the leaves in structure.
20. S p h a g n u m m a c r o p h y l lu m , B e r n h a r d : .
Pl. XXIX.
Dioicous ; pale olive green, glossy, shining. Branches uniform,
divergent, lax-leaved. Stem leaves minute, ovate-oblong, obtuse.
Branch leaves narrowly lanceolate-subulate, toothed at apex ;
hyaline cells narrow, elongated, without fibres, and with 6 -10 pores
in a longitudinal median line ; chlorophyllose cells circular, separating
the hyaline both in front and back.
S y n o n .— macrophyllum, B e r n h . B r id . Bryol. Univ. i. p. 10 (1826). D r u m m .
Muse. Amer. Coll. 2, n. 18 (1841). Su l l iv . Muse. Allegh. n. 207 (1845) ; Mosses
of Un. St. p. 12, n. 10 (1856), et Ic. Muse. p. i, t. i (1864). C. M ü l l . Synops. 1.
p. 91 (1849). S u l l . L e sq . Muse. Bor.-Amer. n . i. (1856). A u s t in , M usc. Appal,
n. 41 (1870).
lsocladus macrophyllus, L in d b . Öfv. af K. Vet. Ak. Förh. xix. p. 133 (1862).
Dioicous, pale olive green, fuscescent below; when dry, glossy
and shining.
Stems 6 -10 in. high, rather rigid, ve ry fragile, fuscous, simple
or dichotomous by innovation, with 2-3 layers o f cuticular cells,
and small, yellowish peripheral cells.
Stem leaves minute, v e ry broad at base, ovate-oblong, obtuse,
entire; the hyaline cells rhomboid, without fibres, but with 1-3
central pores.
Branches crowded in a spinose capitulum, 3-4 In a fascicle,