Sphagnum alaskense |
Sphagnum wilfii |
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wilf's sphagnum |
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Habit | Plants moderate-sized to robust, ± weak-stemmed and compact, capitulum conspicuously large and flat-topped; pinkish brown to red-brown; compact low hummocks and hummock sides. | Plants densely tufted, capitulum ± flat-topped; typically red; forms small tufts and hummocks in shaded and open sites. |
Stem(s) | leaves to 1.7 × 1.2 mm; rarely hemiisophyllous; hyaline cells nonseptate to occasionally septate, comb-lamellae absent. |
leaves 1.2 mm or more, broadly triangular to triangular-lingulate, 1.2 or more, apex acute, border broad at base (more than 0.25 width); hyaline cells mostly efibrillose, 1–2-septate. |
Branches | long and tapering. |
uncrowded, 5-ranked. |
Branch leaves | broadly ovate, to 3 × 2.3 mm; hyaline cells on proximal half of convex surface with elliptical pores along the commissures, often with ridges running parallel to long leaf axis on hyaline cell surface overlying chlorophyllous cells; chlorophyllous cells elliptical and just enclosed on both surfaces in transverse section; end walls not thickened. |
ovate-lanceolate, 0.7 mm or more, straight, concave, loosely involute from apex to middle or near base; concave surface with few (2–4) small, rounded, or elliptic pores, especially in cell angles, concave surface aporose or with 1–2 pores at cell ends. |
Sexual condition | dioicous. |
unknown. |
Capsule | not seen. |
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Spores | unknown. |
unknown. |
Branch | fascicles with 2 spreading and 2 pendent branches.; branch stems with hyaline cells non-ornamented, no or weak funnel-like projections on the interior end walls, often with large round pores on the superficial wall. |
fascicles with 2 spreading and 1 pendent branch. |
Sphagnum alaskense |
Sphagnum wilfii |
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Habitat | Poor to medium fens and mineral edges of ombrotrophic mires | Blanket mires, especially with Pinus contorta |
Elevation | low to moderate elevations | low to moderate elevations |
Distribution |
AK; WA; BC |
AK; BC |
Discussion | Sphagnum alaskense most resembles S. magellanicum and S. centrale in its chorophyll cell cross section. The cross section characteristic is most similar to that of S. centrale but S. alaskense lacks thickened walls. Sphagnum alaskense also apparently does not have any range overlap with S. centrale, the latter being more of a boreal forest species. Sphagnum alaskense occurs in more open and less mineral rich sites near the coast. Sphagnum magellanicum has more well-enclosed chlorophyll cells and usually has some purplish coloration, whereas S. alaskense often has a quite distinctive pinkish brown color which, along with its often large flattened capitula, can give it a distinctive look in the field. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
The type locality of Sphagnum wilfii in the Queen Charlotte Islands of British Columbia is a site on a pygmy pine slope near the coast. This species has been collected only infrequently but is fairly common in southeastern Alaska. The combination of red pigment, the rather large and triangular to triangular-lingulate stem leaves and the quinquefarious, loosely spreading branch leaves should identify it where it occurs. See also discussion under 68. S. bartlettianum. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 27, p. 50. | FNA vol. 27, p. 101. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Name authority | R. E. Andrus & Janssens: Bryologist 106: 435, figs. 1, 3. (2003) | H. A. Crum: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl., ser. 2, 11: 90, fig. 57. (1984) |
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