Sphagnum fitzgeraldii |
Sphagnum junghuhnianum |
|
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fitzgerald's sphagnum |
junghuhn's sphagnum |
|
Habit | Plants small and weak-stemmed, flaccid and ± plumose when submerged to (more frequently) sprawling in thin mats; capitulum ± compact and with a strong terminal bud; pale green to greenish white. | Plants moderate-sized, soft, loosely tufted, slender, capitulum flat-topped to rounded; pale, dirty green, yellowish to brownish; without metallic lustre when dry. |
Stem(s) | pale green; superficial cortex of 1–2 layers of thin-walled and well differentiated cells.; stem leaves large, ovate to oblong-ovate, ca. 2 mm, more or less spreading; apex rounded and serrulate; hyaline cells fibrillose and often 1–septate, convex surface generally aporose, concave surface with 1–several round pores per cell in ends and angles. |
leaves triangular-lingulate, 1.2–1.6 mm, broadly apex acute to narrowly truncate and toothed, border narrow or indistinct at base (less than 0.25 the width); hyaline cells rhomboid, mostly 0–1-septate; convex surface with membrane pleats, concave surface with 1–3 rounded membrane gaps occupying most of cell. |
Branches | unranked to slightly 5-ranked, often short and blunt at distal end. |
somewhat 5-ranked. |
Branch leaves | ovate to oblong-quadrate, 1.2–2.5 mm, not undulate or recurved when dry, strongly toothed across apex and serrulate on margins; hyaline cells with to 4 small round ringed pores at cell ends on convex surface, small round wall thinnings in the cell ends and angles on the concave surface; chlorophyllous cells trapezoidal in transverse section, more broadly exposed on the convex surface. |
ovate-lanceolate, 1.3–2 mm, strongly concave, apex strongly involute; margins entire to somewhat toothed near apex, hyaline cells on convex surface with numerous ringed elliptic pores (6–10) along commissures, concave surface mostly aporose except near margins; Sexual condition dioicous or monoicous. |
Sexual condition | monoicous. |
|
Spores | 38–48 µm; both surfaces covered with fine to moderately coarse papillae; proximal laesura less than 0.4 spore radius. |
21–23 µm; minutely papillose. |
Branch | fascicles with 1–2 spreading and 0–1 pendent branches.; branch stems green, with cortex enlarged with conspicuous retort cells. |
fascicles with 2 spreading and 1–2 pendent branches. |
Sphagnum fitzgeraldii |
Sphagnum junghuhnianum |
|
Habitat | Commonly in prostrate mats on damp sand, often in recently burned or cleared areas, also occasionally floating in ditches | Shady, seepy cliffs |
Elevation | low elevations | low elevations |
Distribution |
AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; SC; VA |
BC; e Asia |
Discussion | Sporophytes of Sphagnum fitzgeraldii are common, being immersed or exserted. This species is found largely on the Atlantic coastal plain. The wide truncate branch leaves easily distinguish it in most situations. Floating plants are not as quickly identified but can be distinguished from other species of sect. Cuspidata by the branch leaves wider than those of similar species. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Sphagnum junghuhnianum in the flora area is known only from the Queen Charlotte Islands. Sporophytes of Sphagnum junghuhnianum were not seen. Three other large, brown species of sect. Acutifolia have stem leaves without fimbriate to lacerate apices, S. subnitens (forms without red color), S. subfulvum, and S. flavicomans. Sphagnum flavicomans has a more pointed stem leaf and a darker brown color as well as a strongly different ecology and range. Both S. subnitens and S. subfulvum have a glossy sheen when dry that is lacking in S. junghuhnianum. Sexual condition and spore characters were taken from H. A. Crum (1984). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 27, p. 67. | FNA vol. 27, p. 95. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | S. mohrianum | S. junghuhnianum subsp. pseudomolle, S. pseudomolle |
Name authority | Lesquereu×& James: Man. 23. (1884) | Dozy & Molkenboer: Verh. Kon. Akad. Wetensch., Afd. Natuurk. 2: 8. (1854) |
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