Sphagnum fuscum |
Sphagnum lenense |
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common brown peat-moss, rusty bogmoss, rusty peat moss, sphagnum |
sphagnum |
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Habit | Plants small and slender, stiff and usually compact, capitulum small and flat-topped; typically deep reddish brown, also greenish brown in shaded habitats and in early seasonal growth, without metallic lustre when dry. | Plants compact, short-branched and small; strongly reddish to golden brown, glossy when dry; flat-topped capitulum with moderately differentiated terminal bud. |
Stem(s) | leaves lingulate, 0.8–1.3 mm; apex broadly rounded and entire to lacerate, sometimes slightly mucronate or slightly denticulate; hyaline cells rhombic, 0–1(–2)-septate, usually efibrillose. |
leaves lingulate,small, equal to or less than 0.8 mm, appressed to stem; apex with strong lacerate split in the middle; hyaline cells efibrillose, aporose, and nonseptate. |
Branches | long and slender to short and compact, unranked to 5-ranked. |
strongly 5-ranked, short and blunt, not much elongated at distal end. |
Branch leaves | ovate-lanceolate, 1.1–1.3 mm, straight, concave, apex strongly involute; margins entire, hyaline cells on convex surface with round to elliptic pores along the commissures, grading from small pores near the leaf apex to large pores near the base, concave surface with large round pores in proximal marginal regions of leaf. |
ovate; usually less than 1.5 mm; stiff and slightly reflexed, straight to slightly subsecund; margins entire; hyaline cells moderately long and narrow (6–8:1), convex surface with one small round pore per cell at apex and numerous pseudopores on the margin, concave surface with large round wall thinnings in the cell angles and ends; chlorophyllous cells triangular in transverse section, with apex reaching concave surface. |
Sexual condition | dioicous. |
unknown. |
Spores | 17–30 µm, finely papillose on proximal surface and pusticulate on distal surface; proximal laesura less than 0.5 spore radius. |
not seen. |
Branch | fascicles with 2 spreading and 1–2 pendent branches. |
fascicles with 2 spreading and 2–3 pendent branches.; branch stems green, with cortex enlarged with retort cells. |
Sphagnum fuscum |
Sphagnum lenense |
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Phenology | Capsules mature late summer. | |
Habitat | Mires, hummocks, fens | Common forming hummocks and carpets in a variety of weakly minerotrophic to ombrotrophic mires including Eriophorum tussock fens, dwarf shrub fens, polygon peatlands, string mires and raised bogs |
Elevation | low to high elevations | low to moderate elevations |
Distribution |
AK; CA; CO; CT; ID; IL; IN; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MT; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OR; PA; RI; UT; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NF; NS; NT; NU; ON; PE; QC; SK; YT; Greenland; Eurasia
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AK; NF; NT; NU; QC; YT; Greenland; Eurasia |
Discussion | Sphagnum fuscum is common in ombrotrophic mires and alpine mountain summits where it may form small to large hummocks to 1 m in height, more infrequently in weakly minerotrophic mires and richer fens. Sporophytes are common in Sphagnum fuscum, which is associated with S. angustifolium, S. fallax, S. magellanicum, S. papillosum, and more infrequently with S. teres, and S. warnstorfii in richer sites. Very widespread but generally easily recognized, it is the only small brown hummock-forming species of sect. Acutifolia over most of its range. There are some significant variations in this species. The stem leaves can vary from having a rounded, entire apex to having a somewhat flat and lacerate apex. The branches also vary from being unranked and slender to 5-ranked and blunt. The color also can vary from a light to a dark brown. There does not seem, however, to be any consistent pattern to these variations and thus no taxonomic recognition has been given to them. See also discussion under 73. S. flavicomans. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Sporophytes are rare in Sphagnum lenense. This species is easily distinguished from the similar S. lindbergii by its compact growth form and reddish brown color. Sphagnum lenense also is a hummock former in the tundra whereas S. lindbergii forms carpets. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 27, p. 94. | FNA vol. 27, p. 70. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | S. acutifolium var. fuscum, S. tenuifolium, S. vancouveriense | S. lindbergii var. microphyllum |
Name authority | (Schimper) H. Klinggraff: Schriften Phys.-Ökon. Ges. Konigsberg 13: 4. (1872) | Pohle: Trudy Glavn. Bot. Sada 33: 14. (1915) |
Web links |