Sphagnum olafii (Sect. Acutifolia) sp. nov. can be recognized in the field by its soft appearance, its brownish capitula with often a faint lustre of purple-red, by a variegated, pale and brownish stem and lingulate-triangular stem leaves. Microscopically, it is recognized by the occurrence of scattered pores in the surface cells of the stem cortex, and markedly bulging hyalocysts on the convex surface of the branch leaves with narrow, wedge-shaped exposures to the chlorocysts. The new species shows closest affinity to S. arcticum Flatb. & Frisv. It is reported from four localities in Svalbard.
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Kjell Ivar Flatberg (1993) studied this question.
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