Sphagnum
/ˈsfæɡnəm/noun
A genus of mosses that grows in bogs and peatlands and can form thick, spongy mats.
Did you know?The word entered modern scientific Latin from Greek sphágnos, the name of a kind of moss, and the same root gave English the idea of a spongey, absorbent texture.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
sphágnos
“A kind of moss, especially bog moss”
Late Latin
Latin
sphagnos
“A learned borrowing for bog moss”
17th-18th Century
New Latin
Sphagnum
“Scientific genus name for peat mosses”
Modern English
English
sphagnum
“A bog moss of the genus Sphagnum”