Sphagnum balticum
Sphagnum girgensohnii
Baltic peat-moss, Baltic sphagnum
common green peat-moss, Girgensohn's sphagnum
leaves 0.8–1.1 mm, triangular-lingulate to lingulate, concave, spreading, apex broadly obtuse, hyaline cells fibrillose in apical region.
leaves lingulate, broadly lingulate to lingulate-spatulate; 0.8–1.3 mm, apex broad, truncate and lacerate, border broad at base (more than 0.25 of base);
hyaline cells rhomboid, efibrillose, and rarely septate.
slender and tapering, often 5-ranked and decurved, leaves somewhat elongated at distal end.
typically long and tapering, not 5-ranked.
ovate-lanceolate, 1–1.7 mm, straight, slightly undulate and spreading;
margin entire, hyaline cells on convex surface with 1–5 pores in cell ends and free near apex, on concave surface with round wall thinnings in cell ends and angles; chlorophyllous cells triangular in transverse section and well-enclosed on concave surface.
ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 1–1.4(–1.8) mm, concave, straight, apex strongly involute, margins entire;
hyaline cells on convex surface with numerous elliptic pores along the commissures, grading from small pores near the apex to large pores near the base, concave surface with large round pores along the margins and base.
dioicous.
dioicous.
25–33 µm; smooth to finely papillose on both surfaces;
proximal laesura approximately 0.5 spore radius.
21–27 µm, moderately to coarsely papillose on both surfaces;
proximal laesura less than 0.5 spore radius.
fascicles with 2 spreading and mostly 1 pendent branch.;
branch stem green, cortex enlarged with conspicuous retort cells.
fascicles with 2 spreading and 1–2 pendent branches.;
branch stem with solitary retort cells or in groups of 2–3, necks moderately distinct.
Sphagnum balticum
Sphagnum girgensohnii
Unlike Sphagnum angustifolium and S. annulatum, S. balticum has stem leaves exerted at right angles to the stem. It also has fewer and weaker hanging branches than does S. angustifolium, which make the stem itself often visible and the stem leaves easier to see. Sphagnum balticum also lacks the paired pendent branch buds between the capitulum rays as seen in S. angustifolium.
In Sphagnum kenaiense there are sometimes spreading stem leaves but this species has 2 hanging branches per fascicle.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Sporophytes are uncommon in Sphagnum girgensohnii. This species is most frequently associated with S. russowii, but also found growing with S. centrale, S. fallax, S. fimbriatum, S. warnstorfii, and S. magellanicum when growing in shaded sites of mires. It is very similar to S. rubiginosum, but S. girgensohnii lacks any reddish pigments, has only 2 spreading branches per fascicle, infrequently produces sporophytes, and differs in spore morphology. Throughout much of its range, S. girgensohnii is readily recognized by its green color and its large, slender, strongly stellate capitulum. In the more northern portion of its range, it frequently forms compact stands with a golden brown color and then the stem leaf must often be examined for accurate identification. In Alaska it overlaps morphogically with S. fimbriatum subsp. concinnum, which can look very similar but will have a more spatulate stem leaf that is lacerate completely across the broad flat apex and slightly down the sides. Sphagnum girgensohnii, on the other hand, has stem leaves only lacerate for about 3/4 of the apex width and less conspicuously broadened at the apex.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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USDA Plants Database
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