Sphagnum compactum |
Sphagnum |
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compact peat-moss, low sphagnum |
sphagnum |
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Habit | Plants moderate to large-sized, dense and compact, pale green, brownish white, golden brown to variegated golden brown, can be reddish in rocky seep habitats; forms small, tufted compact cushions. | Plants typically with upright stems, young branches arranged spirally around stem at growing apex into a capitulum, branches clustered into fascicles along stem, stem and branch leaves of alternating inflated, S-shaped to rhomboid hyaline cells and narrow linear chlorophyllous cells, hyaline cells typically fibrillose and porose on branch leaves. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stem(s) | leaves small, 0.3–0.7 mm, triangular-lingulate with broad rounded apex, Branches short, crowded, and unranked. |
leaves may be less fibrillose or efibrillose and less porose or aporose than the branch leaves, often septate, a distinct border of narrow linear chlorophyllous cells often along margins and at base, and with a greater width:length ratio than branch leaves in anisophyllous forms, partly differentiated in hemiisophyllous forms, and identical in isophyllous forms. |
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Branches | typically dimorphic as spreading and pendent branches, but some species lack branches or branches are not clearly differentiated, pendent branches typically more slender than spreading branches and with a tendency to adhere to and cover the stem. |
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Branch leaves | large, 1.4–3 mm, semi-squarrose to squarrose, ovate and abruptly involute in distal portion, appearing cucullate with toothed apex, usually no more than 6 teeth; hyaline cells with 5 or more ringed, round to elliptical pores on convex surface, numerous pseudopores on concave surface with 3-ringed corner pores occurring in 3s at adjacent cell angles; chlorophyllous cells elliptic in transverse section, entirely included by hyaline cells, slightly nearer to convex surface. |
with 2/5 phyllotaxy, of a 1-stratose network of alternating chlorophyllous and hyaline cells; hyaline cells usually S-shaped, rarely rhomboid, nearly always strengthened with conspicuous spiral fibrils, small to large, round to elliptic and sometimes ringed pores occur along commissures or rarely on cell lumen, convex surface typically with more pores per cell than concave surface; chlorophyllous cells may be enclosed on both surfaces, more broadly exposed on one surface or equally exposed on both surfaces as viewed in transverse section, adjacent cell walls typically smooth, but various types of cell wall projections may be clearly visible in transverse section. |
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Sexual condition | monoicous. |
dioicous or monoicous; stalked globose antheridia borne at the tips of branches usually with swollen colored tips of branches near capitulum; long-necked archegonia borne on short branches singly surrounded by perichaetial leaves that are typically longer than branch leaves. |
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Capsule | with abundant pseudostomata. |
spherical, brown to black, lacking an annulus or peristome with a operculum convex; spore sac amphithecial in origin, over-arching columella. |
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Calyptra | membranous. |
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Spores | 25–35 µm; finely papillose on proximal surface, coarsely papillose on distal surface with raised Y-mark sculpture; proximal laesura short, 0.3–0.5 spore radius. |
tetrahedral, with prominent trilete mark, fine to coarse superficial surface, distal surface may have raised Y-mark, bifurcated Y-mark sculpture, or none. |
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Branch | fascicles 4–6 branches per fascicle, 2–3 spreading and 2–3 pendent, but plants frequently unbranched in young clones. |
fascicles typically with 2 spreading and 1–2 pendent branches, but there may be up to 12(–14) per fascicle.; branch stems typically green, with a superficial layer of inflated retort cells; these grouped or solitary, usually porose at the distal end with a conspicuous or inconspicuous neck. |
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Protonema | typically 1-stratose, gametophyte developing from lateral margin. |
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Sphagnum compactum |
Sphagnum |
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Phenology | Capsules fairly common, mature summer. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Habitat | Ombrotrophic to weakly minerotrophic, commonly growing on poorly drained sand, siliceous rocks, bare peat | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Elevation | low to high elevations | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Distribution |
AK; AR; CA; CT; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; MT; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OR; PA; SC; TN; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; AB; BC; MB; NB; NF; NS; NT; ON; PE; QC; SK; YT; South America; Greenland; Eurasia; Pacific Islands (New Zealand)
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Worldwide except Antarctica; primarily in boreal regions but also in cool; moist montane and oceanic habitats such as nutrient-poor and acidic wetlands and mires |
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Discussion | Sphagnum compactum is usually easily recognized by its combination of golden brown color and involute, cucullate branch leaves. Sphagnum strictum is paler and usually strongly squarrose. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Species 285 (89 in the flora). The concept of species in Sphagnum is controversial. We have followed P. Isoviita (1966) and K. I. Flatberg (1994) in the recognition of species. H. A. Crum (1984) and others (R. E. Daniels and A. Eddy 1985; A. L. Andrews 1958, 1959) have adopted more conservative taxonomic concepts for species in the Northern Hemisphere. Description of the spores above is from Cao T. and D. H. Vitt (1986); for additional discussion of the protonema see C. B. McQueen (1988). Microscopic features can be observed by using a concentrated aqueous or alcohol solution of Crystal Violet. A 50% solution of alcohol and Methylene Blue or Safranin Red can be used, but these usually do not stain features such as minute pores, fibrils, wall thinnings, and surface sculpture on the chlorophyllous cells. The number and kinds of branches should be determined, individual stem and branch leaves (from the middle of a spreading branch) should be examined from the distal 2 cm of the plant, and the superficial surface of stem cortical cells as well as cross sections of branch leaves and stems may need examination. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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Key |
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Source | FNA vol. 27, p. 56. | FNA vol. 27. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Parent taxa | Sphagnaceae > Sphagnum > sect. Rigida | Sphagnaceae | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Synonyms | S. compactum var. imbricatum, S. rigidum | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Name authority | Lamarck & de Candolle: Fl. Franç. ed. 3, 2: 443. (1805) | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 1106. (1753): Gen. Pl. ed. 5, 487. 1754 , | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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