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Baltic peat-moss, Baltic sphagnum

Habit Plants small to moderate-sized, soft and ± weak-stemmed; brownish green, yellow-green, yellowish to golden brown, capitulum typically flat and 5-radiate. Plants red pigmented; capitulum flat-topped and moderately dense.
Stem(s)

leaves 0.8–1.1 mm, triangular-lingulate to lingulate, concave, spreading, apex broadly obtuse, hyaline cells fibrillose in apical region.

red-tinged, cortex eporose.;

stem leaves triangular-lingulate to lingulate with a more or less obtuse apex, 0.8–1.05 × 0.5–0.55 mm;

border strongly developed at the base;

hyaline cells rhomboid and 0–1-septate, efibrillose and eporose.

Branches

slender and tapering, often 5-ranked and decurved, leaves somewhat elongated at distal end.

with leaves 5-ranked and loosely spreading.

Branch leaves

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.

small, 1–1.2 × 0.3–0.35 mm;

convex surface with moderate-sized pores, grading from 4–6 µm near apex to more than 20 µm at base, concave surface eporose except for occasional large round pores in proximal side regions.

Sexual condition

dioicous.

unknown.

Spores

25–33 µm; smooth to finely papillose on both surfaces;

proximal laesura approximately 0.5 spore radius.

Branch

fascicles with 2 spreading and mostly 1 pendent branch.;

branch stem green, cortex enlarged with conspicuous retort cells.

Sphagnum balticum

Sphagnum talbotianum

Habitat Abundant in hollows and floating mats in raised bogs and poor fens Forming low hummocks in poor to medium fens in arctic and maritime tundra
Elevation low to high elevations low to moderate elevations
Distribution
from FNA
AK; CO; AB; BC; MB; NT; NU; ON; QC; YT; Greenland; Eurasia
from FNA
AK
Discussion

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.)

In the range of Sphagnum talbotianum, there are potentially three other species of sect. Acutifolia with quinquefarious branch leaves. Sphagnum rubellum has branch leaves somewhat subsecund and less strictly 5-ranked. It is also not clear whether there is even range overlap. Sphagnum quinquefarium has a more triangular stem leaf, and has some branch fascicles with three spreading branches. Sphagnum warnstorfii is most similar but macroscopically has a somewhat larger stem leaf. Microscopically, S. warnstorfii is readily distinguished by its tiny branch leaf pores.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 27, p. 65. FNA vol. 27, p. 100.
Parent taxa Sphagnaceae > Sphagnum > sect. Cuspidata Sphagnaceae > Sphagnum > sect. Acutifolia
Sibling taxa
S. affine, S. alaskense, S. andersonianum, S. angermanicum, S. angustifolium, S. annulatum, S. aongstroemii, S. arcticum, S. atlanticum, S. austinii, S. bartlettianum, S. beothuk, S. bergianum, S. brevifolium, S. capillifolium, S. carolinianum, S. centrale, S. compactum, S. contortum, S. cribrosum, S. cuspidatum, S. cyclophyllum, S. fallax, S. fimbriatum, S. fitzgeraldii, S. flavicomans, S. flexuosum, S. fuscum, S. girgensohnii, S. henryense, S. imbricatum, S. inexspectatum, S. inundatum, S. isoviitae, S. jensenii, S. junghuhnianum, S. kenaiense, S. lenense, S. lescurii, S. lindbergii, S. macrophyllum, S. magellanicum, S. majus, S. mcqueenii, S. mendocinum, S. microcarpum, S. mirum, S. mississippiense, S. molle, S. obtusum, S. oregonense, S. orientale, S. pacificum, S. palustre, S. papillosum, S. perfoliatum, S. perichaetiale, S. platyphyllum, S. portoricense, S. pulchrum, S. pylaesii, S. quinquefarium, S. recurvum, S. riparium, S. rubellum, S. rubiginosum, S. rubroflexuosum, S. russowii, S. sitchense, S. splendens, S. squarrosum, S. steerei, S. strictum, S. subfulvum, S. subnitens, S. subsecundum, S. subtile, S. talbotianum, S. tenellum, S. tenerum, S. teres, S. torreyanum, S. trinitense, S. tundrae, S. viride, S. warnstorfii, S. wilfii, S. wulfianum
S. affine, S. alaskense, S. andersonianum, S. angermanicum, S. angustifolium, S. annulatum, S. aongstroemii, S. arcticum, S. atlanticum, S. austinii, S. balticum, S. bartlettianum, S. beothuk, S. bergianum, S. brevifolium, S. capillifolium, S. carolinianum, S. centrale, S. compactum, S. contortum, S. cribrosum, S. cuspidatum, S. cyclophyllum, S. fallax, S. fimbriatum, S. fitzgeraldii, S. flavicomans, S. flexuosum, S. fuscum, S. girgensohnii, S. henryense, S. imbricatum, S. inexspectatum, S. inundatum, S. isoviitae, S. jensenii, S. junghuhnianum, S. kenaiense, S. lenense, S. lescurii, S. lindbergii, S. macrophyllum, S. magellanicum, S. majus, S. mcqueenii, S. mendocinum, S. microcarpum, S. mirum, S. mississippiense, S. molle, S. obtusum, S. oregonense, S. orientale, S. pacificum, S. palustre, S. papillosum, S. perfoliatum, S. perichaetiale, S. platyphyllum, S. portoricense, S. pulchrum, S. pylaesii, S. quinquefarium, S. recurvum, S. riparium, S. rubellum, S. rubiginosum, S. rubroflexuosum, S. russowii, S. sitchense, S. splendens, S. squarrosum, S. steerei, S. strictum, S. subfulvum, S. subnitens, S. subsecundum, S. subtile, S. tenellum, S. tenerum, S. teres, S. torreyanum, S. trinitense, S. tundrae, S. viride, S. warnstorfii, S. wilfii, S. wulfianum
Synonyms S. recurvum subsp. balticum
Name authority (Russow) C. E. O. Jensen: in Botaniske Forening København, Festskrift, 100. (1890) R. E. Andrus: Sida 22: 970, figs. 35–40. (2006)
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