Sphagnum cuspidatum
Sphagnum orientale
feathery bog-moss, feathery peat-moss, tooth sphagnum
oriental sphagnum
leaves triangular-ovate, more than 1.2 mm, usually appressed;
apex acute to apiculate, hyaline cells rarely septate or porose, apical region often fibrillose.
leaves triangular-lingulate to lingulate; 0.7–0.8 mm;
apex rounded and often erose, hyaline cells nonseptate or sometimes 1-septate, numerous small round pores more than 2 µm along the commissures and scattered across the cell on the convex surface, on the concave surface fewer similar-sized pores along the commissures.
mostly unranked to weakly 5-ranked, often conspicuously falcate, leaves greatly elongated at distal end.
short and slightly curved Branch fascicles with 2 spreading and 2 pendent branches.
ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, 1.6–5 mm, falcate toward branch tips, when dry often undulate and recurved, rarely weakly serrulate along the margins in submerged forms, leaves from middle of spreading branches with length to width ratio less than or equal to 1:0.28;
hyaline cells length to width ratio in apical convex surface region 8:1 or more, convex surface with 0–1 small round pores at apex, concave surface with faint round wall thinnings in cell apices and angles; chlorophyllous cells triangular to trapezoidal in transverse section, broadly exposed on the convex surface and exposed slightly on the concave surface.
ovate, 1.1–1.3 mm, distinctly curved to secund;
hyaline cells covered with numerous (more than 30 per cell) tiny pores (ca. 1 µm) on convex surface along the commissures and across the cell surface, sometimes forming several linear rows of free pores, on concave surface with fewer pores round to oval and slightly larger (more than 2 µm) restricted to commissures.
dioicous.
probably dioicous.
not seen.
29–38 µm; covered with large papillae on both surfaces, appearing pusticulate;
proximal laesura less than 0.5 spore radius.
not seen.
fascicles with 2 spreading and 2–3 pendent branches.;
branch stems green, but often pinkish at the proximal ends, with cortex enlarged with conspicuous retort cells.
Sphagnum cuspidatum
Sphagnum orientale
Distinguishing Sphagnum cuspidatum from S. viride is sometimes difficult, as both occur over a similar geographic range and both grow in wet carpets. Sphagnum cuspidatum has narrower branch leaves and usually a distinct red tinge at the branch bases within the capitulum.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
The ecology of Sphagnum orientale is poorly known, due in part to taxonomic confusion with S. perfoliatum and in part to its very northern distribution. Like other species of sect. Subsecunda, however, it is clearly minerotrophic, probably weakly so. Associated vascular plants include Carex aquatilis Wahlenberg, C. bigelowii Torrey, C. fuliginosa Schkuhr, C. rotundata Wahlenberg, Eriophorum vaginatum Linnaeus, Vaccinium oxycoccus Linnaeus, and Betula glandulosa Michaux. Associated bryophytes include Sphagnum aongstroemii, S. fimbriatum subsp. concinnum, S. jensenii, S. obtusum, S. rubellum, S. talbotianum, S. squarrosum, and Cinclidium subrotundatum. Sporophytes are rare. Similar species with which it overlaps in range are S. subsecundum, S. perfoliatum and S. inexspectatum. Field separation from S. subsecundum and S. inexspectatum is difficult but the tiny branch leaf pores will separate it microsopically. Sphagnum perfoliatum is much larger and indeed looks much like some forms of S. lescurii or S.auriculatum, even to having curved, horn-like branches. Sphagnum perfoliatum is also typically quite richly colored and glossy in appearance.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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