Sphagnum girgensohnii
Sphagnum junghuhnianum
common green peat-moss, Girgensohn's sphagnum
junghuhn's sphagnum
leaves lingulate, broadly lingulate to lingulate-spatulate; 0.8–1.3 mm, apex broad, truncate and lacerate, border broad at base (more than 0.25 of base);
hyaline cells rhomboid, efibrillose, and rarely septate.
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.
typically long and tapering, not 5-ranked.
somewhat 5-ranked.
ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 1–1.4(–1.8) mm, concave, straight, apex strongly involute, margins entire;
hyaline cells on convex surface with numerous elliptic pores along the commissures, grading from small pores near the apex to large pores near the base, concave surface with large round pores along the margins and base.
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.
dioicous.
21–27 µm, moderately to coarsely papillose on both surfaces;
proximal laesura less than 0.5 spore radius.
21–23 µm; minutely papillose.
fascicles with 2 spreading and 1–2 pendent branches.;
branch stem with solitary retort cells or in groups of 2–3, necks moderately distinct.
fascicles with 2 spreading and 1–2 pendent branches.
Sphagnum girgensohnii
Sphagnum junghuhnianum
Sporophytes are uncommon in Sphagnum girgensohnii. This species is most frequently associated with S. russowii, but also found growing with S. centrale, S. fallax, S. fimbriatum, S. warnstorfii, and S. magellanicum when growing in shaded sites of mires. It is very similar to S. rubiginosum, but S. girgensohnii lacks any reddish pigments, has only 2 spreading branches per fascicle, infrequently produces sporophytes, and differs in spore morphology. Throughout much of its range, S. girgensohnii is readily recognized by its green color and its large, slender, strongly stellate capitulum. In the more northern portion of its range, it frequently forms compact stands with a golden brown color and then the stem leaf must often be examined for accurate identification. In Alaska it overlaps morphogically with S. fimbriatum subsp. concinnum, which can look very similar but will have a more spatulate stem leaf that is lacerate completely across the broad flat apex and slightly down the sides. Sphagnum girgensohnii, on the other hand, has stem leaves only lacerate for about 3/4 of the apex width and less conspicuously broadened at the apex.
(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.)
- Local floras:
BC - Local Web sites:
CalFlora, CalPhotos, 
Flora NW, 
IL Wildflowers, 
MD Biodiversity, 
MI Flora, 
MN Wildflowers, 
PNW Herbaria 
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist (observations)
USDA Plants Database- LBJ Wildflower Center
- SEINet
- Plants of the World Online
- Encyclopedia of Life
- Wikipedia
- Google Image Search
