Sphagnum cyclophyllum
Sphagnum russowii
sphagnum
Russow's peat-moss, Russow's sphagnum
leaves broadly ovate, 3.5–4 mm, apex rounded and indistinctly toothed;
hyaline cells on convex surface with 10–20 small (2.5–7.5 µm) round pores approximately 1/6 the diameter of the hyaline cells along the commissures, cells on concave surface uniporose in distal end or aporose, sometimes one or a few pores are scattered over the surface of the cells.
leaves lingulate, 1.3–1.6 mm, apex broadly rounded or pointed and notched (sometimes denticulate), border strong and broadened at base (more than 0.25 width);
hyaline cells short sinuoid-rhombic, mostly efibrillose, 0–1(–2)-septate.
few, single and short or more commonly none.
long and slender, never 5-ranked.
if any, are usually slightly smaller, 2–3 mm, but otherwise identical to the stem leaves.
ovate-lanceolate, 1.3–1.6 mm, concave, straight, apex strongly involute;
hyaline cells on convex surface with numerous round to elliptic pores along the commissures, grading from small round pores near the apex to large elliptic pores at the base, concave surface usually with large round pores throughout, but sometimes restricted to proximal portions of leaf.
dioicous.
dioicous, but some specimens apparently monoicous.
immersed in perichaetial leaves, pseudopodium extremely short, without pseudostomata.
25–40 µm; coarsely papillose on both surfaces;
proximal laesura more than 0.5 the length of the spore
18–33 µm, coarsely papillose on both surfaces;
proximal laesura more than 0.5 spore radius.
fascicles, if any, usually only 1 single branch.
fascicles with 2 spreading and 1–2 pendent branches.
Sphagnum cyclophyllum
Sphagnum russowii
Sporophytes are quite rare in Sphagnum cyclophyllum, which grows associated with S. pylaesii, S. perichaetiale, S. portoricense, and S. lescurii. Sphagnum pylaesii is the only other North American Sphagnum that regularly grows unbranched. The latter species not only lacks the typical sect. Subsecunda branch leaf porosity of S. cyclophyllum but is also much more slender. Sphagnum pylaesii is also much more likely to occur submersed, where it occurs in branched forms, something S. cyclophyllum rarely does. See also discussion under 57. S. microcarpum and 61. S. platyphyllum.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Sporophytes are uncommon in Sphagnum russowii. This species is associated with S. centrale, S. fallax, S. fimbriatum, S. girgensohnii, and S. squarrosum. Because of its not particularly distinct phenotype as well its strong tendency to produce hemiisophyllous stem leaves, S. russowii is probably the most frequently misidentified Sphagnum species. The combination of the flat, stellate capitulum, unranked branch leaves, and lingulate stem leaf will usually suffice to identify it. Sphagnum capillifolium has a rounded capitulum and a pointed stem leaf while S. subtile also has a rounded capitulum but a shorter and more triangular stem leaf. In montane and arctic mires it can be confused with S. warnstorfii but the latter usually has conspicuously 5-ranked branch leaves. As one might expect in such a widespread and common species, the characters can vary considerably. For example, one regularly finds plants that are consistent in every respect with the description except that they lack stem cortical pores. Some stem leaves have almost no septations in the hyaline cells while other forms have most of the cells septate. As with similar variation in the likewise common S. fuscum, there is no consistent pattern and so taxonomic recognition of the variants is unwarranted.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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