Sphagnum centrale |
Sphagnum steerei |
|
---|---|---|
sphagnum |
steere's sphagnum |
|
Habit | Plants moderate-sized to robust, capitulum compact and well rounded in open-grown forms, lax to somewhat compact; green in shade forms to golden yellow to golden brown in open-grown forms, occasionally with a pinkish tinge; lawns, loose low hummocks to larger, ± firm hummocks. | Plants moderate-sized to large, compact and stiff-stemmed with upswept branches; dark green and brown, dark chesnut brown, brown to blackish brown, often with bluish tinge when dry; forming dense low to moderately tall hummocks. |
Stem(s) | leaves to 1.2–2.2 × 0.8–1 mm; rarely hemiisophyllous; hyaline cells non-ornamented, rarely septate, comb-lamellae absent. |
leaves to 1.2 × 0.8 mm; rarely hemiisophyllous; hyaline cells mostly nonseptate, comb-lamellae usually absent, but sometimes weak. |
Branches | tapering, leaves spreading to somewhat imbricate. |
short and blunt-tipped, leaves spreading. |
Branch leaves | broadly ovate, to 1.7 × 1.5 mm; hyaline cells non-ornamented, convex surface with elliptic to rarely round pores along the commissures; chlorophyllous cells lenticular to narrowly elliptical in transverse section, narrowly exposed on both ends, but more so on concave surface, end walls thickened at both ends. |
ovate to ovate-elliptical, 1.6–2.2 × 1 mm; hyaline cells on proximal half of convex surface with round to elliptic pores along the commissures; comb-lamellae on hyaline cell wall where overlying chlorophyllous cells; chlorophyllous cells broadly triangular in transverse section and well-enclosed on convex surface, end wall not thickened. |
Sexual condition | dioicous. |
dioicous. |
Capsule | with inconspicuous pseudostomata. |
unknown. |
Spores | 23–30 µm; surface finely roughened to smooth; laesura on proximal surface more than 0.5 spore radius. |
unknown. |
Branch | fascicles with 2 spreading and 1–2 pendent branches.; branch stems with cortical cells non-ornamented, no or weak funnel-like projections on the interior end walls, often with large round pores on the superficial walls. |
fascicles with 2 spreading and 1 pendent branch.; branch stems with hyaline cells non-ornamented, no or weak funnel-like projections on the end walls of cortical cells, cortical cell walls usually with large round pores. |
Sphagnum centrale |
Sphagnum steerei |
|
Phenology | Capsules uncommon, mature late summer. | |
Habitat | Medium to rich fens, especially prominent in coniferous fens and sedge fens | Commonly in firm-bottomed poor to medium fen vegetation, subarctic to arctic regions |
Elevation | low to high elevations | low to moderate elevations |
Distribution |
CT; IA; ID; IL; IN; MA; ME; MI; MN; MT; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; VT; WA; WI; AB; BC; NF; NS; NT; ON; PE; QC; SK; Greenland; Eurasia
|
AK; MB; NT; NU; QC; YT; e Asia |
Discussion | Sphagnum centrale is most similar to S. alaskense but seems to have no range overlap with that species and is also considerably more minerotrophic. In the field it lacks the often reddish tinge of S. palustre and is larger than S. affine. See also discussion under 2. S. alaskense and 9. S. papillosum. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Sphagnum steerei is usually easily recognized in the field by its dense growth habit and dark brown color. Its ecology is somewhat unclear due to taxonomic confusion with S. imbricatum in the strict sense and S. austinii (R. E. Andrus 1987). The latter is the only species in the imbricatum complex that occurs where S. steerei does. Contrary to the view of H. A. Crum (1997), S. steerei is quite distinct from S. affine and S. austinii. There is no range overlap with either of those species and the macroscopic appearance is also quite different. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 27, p. 50. | FNA vol. 27, p. 54. |
Parent taxa | Sphagnaceae > Sphagnum > sect. Sphagnum | Sphagnaceae > Sphagnum > sect. Sphagnum |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | S. palustre subsp. intermedium, S. subbicolor | S. imbricatum var. arcticum |
Name authority | C. E. O. Jensen: Bih. Kongl. Svenska. Vetensk.-Akad. Handl. 21(10): 34. (1896) | R. E. Andrus: Bryologist 90: 218. (1987) |
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