Sphagnum

Sphagnum, a genus of Mosses, whose spore-case is an urn closed by a deciduous lid, and its brim toothless, the calyptra irregularly torn. Several species are natives of Britain, and are common in bogs, from which they derive their popular name, Bog Moss. They are remarkable for the whitish colour of their leaves. They are very elegant plants. They often grow in considerable masses, absorbing water like a sponge, but becoming friable when dry. They contribute much to the formation of peat. Gardeners employ them in preference to other mosses for covering the roots of plants and keeping them moist, as they have in a high degree the property of absorbing moisture from the atmosphere. They have been used as food. The leaf-cells have a spiral structure and large pores in their sides. See MOSSES; and Braithwaite's Sphagnaceæ (1880).