Sphagnum multifibrosum Li Xing-jiang & Zang Mu ex Li Xing-jiang 1984

This species is similar to Sphagnum palustre ssp. pseudocymbifolium (C. Müll.) A. Eddy, but it differs by having more robust plants and rather distantly arranged branches, flat and elongate stem leaves with fibrillose and porose hyaline cells, and by its aromatic scent.

Plants robust, larger than 10 cm high, pale green tinged with yellow, in large compact tufts. Stem cortex in 2–3 layers, hyaline cells large, fibrillose and porose; central cylinder yellowish brown. Stem leaves 3.8–4.3 mm × 1.2–1.5 mm, flat, oblong-ligulate, rounded obtuse, lacerate or irregular dentate at the apex; borders hyaline; hyaline cells oblong-rhomboidal to linear-rhomboidal, densely fibrillose and porose, similar to those of branch leaves. Branches in fascicles of 4–5, with 2 spreading, hyaline cells 1 layer, large and thin-walled. Branch leaves ca. 2 mm × 1.8–2.0 mm, broadly ovate to oblong-ovate, strongly concave, margins cucullate and rounded at the apex; hyaline cells irregularly oblong-rhomboidal, densely fibrillose, with half-circular pores at opposite ends on the dorsal surface, rarely with pores on the ventral surface; green cells in cross section isosceles-triangular, exposed on the ventral surface, enclosed by large, hyaline cells on the dorsal surface. Dioicous. Sporophytes not seen.

Distribution: endemic to China.

Habitat: in bogs, on wet ground under Picea forests and Rhododendron brush in high mountains; also on wet rocks under dripping water, alt. 1800–3200 m.