Sphagnum capillifolium
Sphagnum fuscum
common red peat-moss, small red peat moss, sphagnum
common brown peat-moss, rusty bogmoss, rusty peat moss, sphagnum
green to red;
superficial cortical cells aporose Stem leaves lingulate-triangular, 1.2–1.6(–1.8) mm, apex ± involute;
border entire and broadened to about 0.25 the width of the base;
hyaline cells S-shaped, 0–1-septate, usually fibrillose in distal portion of leaf.
leaves lingulate, 0.8–1.3 mm;
apex broadly rounded and entire to lacerate, sometimes slightly mucronate or slightly denticulate;
hyaline cells rhombic, 0–1(–2)-septate, usually efibrillose.
not 5-ranked, terete.
long and slender to short and compact, unranked to 5-ranked.
ovate-lanceolate, 1–1.4 mm, imbricate to moderately spreading, concave, straight, strongly involute near apex;
hyaline cells on convex surface with elliptic pores along commissures, concave surface with large round pores away from commissures in proximal portions of leaf.
ovate-lanceolate, 1.1–1.3 mm, straight, concave, apex strongly involute;
margins entire, hyaline cells on convex surface with round to elliptic pores along the commissures, grading from small pores near the leaf apex to large pores near the base, concave surface with large round pores in proximal marginal regions of leaf.
dioicous.
dioicous.
20–28 µm; finely papillose on both surfaces, with distinct raised Y-shaped sculpture on distal surface;
proximal laesura 0.5 spore radius or more.
17–30 µm, finely papillose on proximal surface and pusticulate on distal surface;
proximal laesura less than 0.5 spore radius.
fascicles with 2 spreading and 1–2 pendent branches.
fascicles with 2 spreading and 1–2 pendent branches.
Sphagnum capillifolium
Sphagnum fuscum
Sporophytes are fairly common in Sphagnum capillifolium. This species is most common and abundant in ombrotrophic heath vegetation associated with S. angustifolium, S. fallax, S. fuscum, S. magellanicum, S. rubellum, Polytrichum commune, and P. juniperinum. It can be distinguished from most other red species of sect. Acutifolia with which it co-occurs by its lack of 5-ranking in the branches. Sphagnum subtile is a forest and non-hummock forming species that has a distinctly shorter and more triangular-lingulate stem leaf. The stem leaf border on S. subtile is also more strongly bordered. Sphagnum tenerum, which geographically overlaps S. capillifolium only very minimally, has much more turgid branches and a generally more robust look. The stem leaf of S. tenerum is triangular-lingulate as compared to the lingulate- triangular stem leaf of S. capillifolium. See also discussion under 84. S. subnitens and 87. S. tenerum.
The names Sphagnum acutifolium Schrader and S. nemoreum Scopoli (doubtful name) have also been used for this taxon.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Sphagnum fuscum is common in ombrotrophic mires and alpine mountain summits where it may form small to large hummocks to 1 m in height, more infrequently in weakly minerotrophic mires and richer fens.
Sporophytes are common in Sphagnum fuscum, which is associated with S. angustifolium, S. fallax, S. magellanicum, S. papillosum, and more infrequently with S. teres, and S. warnstorfii in richer sites. Very widespread but generally easily recognized, it is the only small brown hummock-forming species of sect. Acutifolia over most of its range. There are some significant variations in this species. The stem leaves can vary from having a rounded, entire apex to having a somewhat flat and lacerate apex. The branches also vary from being unranked and slender to 5-ranked and blunt. The color also can vary from a light to a dark brown. There does not seem, however, to be any consistent pattern to these variations and thus no taxonomic recognition has been given to them. See also discussion under 73. S. flavicomans.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
BC
IL Wildflowers
MI Flora
MN Wildflowers
PNW Herbaria
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
MD Biodiversity
