Sphagnum junghuhnianum
Sphagnum alaskense
junghuhn's sphagnum
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.
leaves to 1.7 × 1.2 mm; rarely hemiisophyllous;
hyaline cells nonseptate to occasionally septate, comb-lamellae absent.
somewhat 5-ranked.
long and tapering.
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.
broadly ovate, to 3 × 2.3 mm;
hyaline cells on proximal half of convex surface with elliptical pores along the commissures, often with ridges running parallel to long leaf axis on hyaline cell surface overlying chlorophyllous cells; chlorophyllous cells elliptical and just enclosed on both surfaces in transverse section;
end walls not thickened.
dioicous.
not seen.
21–23 µm; minutely papillose.
unknown.
fascicles with 2 spreading and 1–2 pendent branches.
fascicles with 2 spreading and 2 pendent branches.;
branch stems with hyaline cells non-ornamented, no or weak funnel-like projections on the interior end walls, often with large round pores on the superficial wall.
Sphagnum junghuhnianum
Sphagnum alaskense
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.)
Sphagnum alaskense most resembles S. magellanicum and S. centrale in its chorophyll cell cross section. The cross section characteristic is most similar to that of S. centrale but S. alaskense lacks thickened walls. Sphagnum alaskense also apparently does not have any range overlap with S. centrale, the latter being more of a boreal forest species. Sphagnum alaskense occurs in more open and less mineral rich sites near the coast. Sphagnum magellanicum has more well-enclosed chlorophyll cells and usually has some purplish coloration, whereas S. alaskense often has a quite distinctive pinkish brown color which, along with its often large flattened capitula, can give it a distinctive look in the field.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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