Sphagnum apiculatum H. Lindb. in Bauer, Sitz.-ber. Deuts. Nat.-Med. Ver. Böhmen Lotos 51: 123. 1903, nom. superfl. Sphagnum cuspidatum var. brevifolium Lindb. ex Braithw., Sphag. Eur. N. Am. 84. 1880. Sphagnum recurvum var. brevifolium (Lindb. ex Braithw.) Warnst., Flora 67: 608. 1884. Sphagnum recurvum var. mucronatum (Russ.) Warnst., Bot. Gaz. 15: 218. 1890.

Plants slender, medium-sized, green to yellowish green or brown tinged with reddish color under intense daylight, in compact tufts. Stem cortex in 2–4 layers, hyaline cells thick-walled, without pores; central cylinder yellowish green. Stem leaves 0.8–1.0 mm × 0.8–1.0 mm, nearly equilateral-triangular, somewhat concave, apiculate to acute and involute-cucullate at the apex, borders narrow above, suddenly widened below (ca. 1/3 the leaf width at base); hyaline cells undivided, without fibrils. Branches in fascicles of 3–5, with 1–2 spreading, capitula usually in 5-radiate. Branch leaves 0.8–3.0 mm × 0.5–1.0 mm, lanceolate to narrowly ovate-lanceolate, loosely spreading and contorted, slightly erose at the apex, undulate at the margins and recurved at the tips when dry, borders narrow; hyaline cells fibrillose, rarely with pores on the ventral surface, sometimes with few pores at corners on the dorsal surface; green cells triangular, exposed on the dorsal surface. Dioicous. Sporophytes not seen.

Type. Poland.

Chinese specimens examined: HEILONGJIANG: Da Xing An Ling (Greater Khingan Mt.), C. Gao 12713, 12754 (IFSBH, KUN). NEI MONGOL: Da Xing An Ling (Greater Khingan Mt.), C. Gao 1027 (IFSBH, KUN), C. Gao 1028 (IFSBH, MO, as Sphagnum apiculatum).

Habitat: on peatland at the edge of fens or on humus, hummock-hollow habitat under forests; Distribution: China, Japan, Russian Far East, Europe, and North America.

Illustrations: C. Gao (ed.) 1994 (Pl. 17, figs. 7–12, as Sphagnum recurvum var. amblyphyllum).