Name: Sphagnum (peat)
SFAGNUM (peat moss)
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Perennial spore plant, devoid of roots. Forms a continuous thick, soft, loose carpet of light green color. Sods consist of countless specimens that grow in tops from year to year, and die off in the lower part, accumulating a layer of brown peat. The stem is thin, low, seated from the very bottom with narrow, facing in all directions, small, oversaturated subulate leaves.
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Widely distributed in the polar-arctic, tundra, forest-tundra and forest zones of Siberia. It grows on peat bogs, not often in a continuous carpet, in northern forests.
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The light green upper half of the plant is harvested during the summer, squeezed and dried in air on a bedding.
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The plant contains triterpene compounds, phenol-like substance sphagnol, which prevents festering of wounds, sugars, resins, pectin and other substances.
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In medicine, it is used as a hygroscopic and dressing material, which in emergency cases can be used without sterilization. It has been known as a dressing since the 11th century. It has received scientific evaluation only at the present time in connection with the identification of its bactericidal properties. The suction capacity associated with the special structure of the leaves is about 4 times stronger than that of absorbent cotton: air-dry moss absorbs 1 part within 20 parts of water.