Sphagnum cuspidatum Ehrh. ex Hoffm., Deutschl. Fl. 2: 22. 1796.

Plants normally submerged, slender, flaccid, especially when wet, bright green to yellow; wood cylinder yellow-green; cortical cells more or less distinctly differentiated in 2 layers, long, more or less thick-walled, not inflated, without pores. Stem leaves concave, ovate to ovate-deltoid, blunt or acute, broadly bordered below; hyaline cells not divided, with or without fibrils above, on the outer surface with small end pores, on the inner surface largely resorbed near the leaf apex, the gaps decreasing in size below and at the leaf sides. Branches normally in fascicles of 4 (2 spreading), slenderly tapered; cortical cells with retort cells differentiated. Branch leaves slightly wavy when dry, long-lanceolate, involute-concave, bordered by 2–4 rows of linear cells; hyaline cells slightly convex on the inner surface, on both surfaces with few, small, inconspicuous end and corner pores; green cells in section broadly trapezoidal, more broadly exposed on the outer surface.