Sphagnum capillifolium
Sphagnum mendocinum
common red peat-moss, small red peat moss, sphagnum
Mendocino 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 broadly oblong-triangular, 1.2–1.5 mm; mostly appressed to stem;
apex obtuse;
hyaline cells narrow, usually nonseptate, efibrillose and aporose on convex surface near apex, on concave surface usually efibrillose with irregular pores along commissures in distal portion of leaf.
not 5-ranked, terete.
with loosely imbricate leaves; often 5-ranked;
leaves little to somewhat elongated at distal end.
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, ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate; 2–3.5 mm;
flat and undulate at margins and recurved at apex when dry; straight;
margins entire;
hyaline cells on concave surface with very numerous, small ringed or unringed pores along the commissures, 5–12 in distal portion of leaf and 20–27 in proximal portion, convex surface with 5–15 pores per cell in distal portion of leaf and 14–21 in proximal portion, pores usually without a ring; chlorophyllous cells triangular to trapezoidal in transverse section and exposed slightly on concave surface.
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.
ca. 30 µm;
very slightly roughened.
fascicles with 2 spreading and 1–2 pendent branches.
fascicles with 2 spreading and 2–3 pendent branches.;
branch stems green, with cortical cells in 1 layer with conspicuous necks.
Sphagnum capillifolium
Sphagnum mendocinum
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.)
Sporophytes of Sphagnum mendocinum are uncommon. Although the unique branch leaf porosity makes it unmistakable microscopically, it may be confused with other species in the field. It is unusual ecologically in that it seems to overlap both the carpet- and lawn-forming habits—in other words it seems intermediate between S. recurvum and S. cuspidatum, in the broad sense. Among the species that it overlaps floristically, it is more robust and darker colored than S. pacificum. The latter also has an apiculate stem leaf compared to the more or less obtuse stem leaves of S. mendocinum. The more wet-growing S. majus var. majus and S. majus var. norvegicum, with which it slightly overlaps in habitat, have branch leaves that are strongly elongated at the distal branch ends whereas those of S. mendocinum are not. See also discussion under 40. S. obtusum. Sexual condition and spore characters are taken from from H. A. Crum (1984).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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