Sphagnum angustifolium
Sphagnum subtile
fine bogmoss, poor-fen peat-moss, sphagnum
sphagnum
leaves equilateral to isosceles-triangular, small, less than 0.8 mm, mostly appressed to stem, apex acute to obtuse, hyaline cells efibrillose and nonseptate.
leaves broad-triangular to triangular lingulate, 0.9–1.2 mm, apex acute to slightly rounded, border strongly broadened at base (more than 0.3 width);
hyaline cells mostly 0–1-septate, S-shaped to rhomboid.
straight to slightly curved, usually 5-ranked;
leaves not much longer at distal end than proximal end.
not 5-ranked.
narrowly ovate-lanceolate, 0.8–1 mm, straight, moderately undulate and recurved in larger and/or wetter grown forms, not undulate and slightly recurved in compact forms from drier sites;
margins entire;
hyaline cells on convex surface with 1(2–3) pore per cell at apical end of cell, on concave surface with round wall thinnings in cell ends and angles; chlorophyllous cells triangular in transverse section and just enclosed on concave surface.
0.9–1.2 mm, ovate-lanceolate, 0.9–1.2 mm, concave, straight, apex involute;
hyaline cells on convex surface with numerous round to elliptic pores along the commissures (4–8), grading from small pores near apex to large pores at leaf base, concave surface with large round pores in proximal portions of leaf.
dioicous.
dioicous.
21–25 µm; coarsely papillose on proximal and distal surfaces;
proximal laesura more than 0.5 spore radius.
19–29 µm, finely papillose on proximal surface, more coarsely papillose on distal surface, conspicuous bifurcated Y-mark sculpture on distal surface;
proximal laesura less than 0.5 spore radius.
fascicles with 2 spreading and 2–3 pendent branches.;
branch stems with cortex enlarged with conspicuous retort cells, often pinkish red at proximal end.
fascicles with 2 spreading and 2 pendent branches (rarely 1).
Sphagnum angustifolium
Sphagnum subtile
The sporophytes of Sphagnum angustifolium are somewhat common. This species is distinguished from similar ones in sect. Cuspidata by the small, triangular, obtuse and appressed stem leaves. It also often has a pink stem, as opposed to the reddish branch bases seen in some other species of the section. Sphagnum balticum has stem leaves that are more lingulate-triangular as well as spreading from the stem. Sphagnum angustifolium belongs to a subgroup within sect. Cuspidata usually referred to as S. recurvum, in the broad sense, a group of mostly carpet-forming species that differ from other members of the section in having pairs of pendent branch buds visible between the capitulum rays. The group also includes S. brevifolium, S. fallax, S. flexuosum, S. pacificum, S. recurvum, S. rubroflexuosum, and S. splendens.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Sphagnum subtile forms small dense cushions and hummocks in damp coniferous forests and in the shaded portions of poor fens and ombrotrophic mires.
Sporophytes are common in Sphagnum subtile. Reports that the species is monoicous may be unreliable because of confusion with closely related species (C. B. McQueen 1989). Previous reports of this species from the west coast of North America are uncertain as well as are specimens from the interior of the continent (R. E. Andrus 1979) due to taxonomic confusion with Sphagnum capillifolium and S. rubellum (McQueen). However, this species is conspicuously distinct in gametophyte and spore morphology as well as niche. In the northern part of its range where it overlaps ecologically with S. quinquefarium, the three spreading branches of the latter will distinguish it from S. subtile. It should be noted that contrary to the opinion of H. A. Crum (1997), S. subtile does not occur throughout the range of S. capillifolium but in North America is found over only a portion of the latter’s eastern range, while being absent completely from its western range. See also discussion under 71. S. capillifolium.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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