Sphagnum lenense |
Sphagnum tenellum |
|
---|---|---|
sphagnum |
soft peat-moss, sphagnum |
|
Habit | Plants compact, short-branched and small; strongly reddish to golden brown, glossy when dry; flat-topped capitulum with moderately differentiated terminal bud. | Plants small, slender and weak-stemmed; pale yellow to golden brown, rarely tinged with red; capitulum not especially distinct. |
Stem(s) | 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. |
leaves ovate-lingulate; 1–1.3 mm, apex broadly rounded; hyaline cells nonseptate, aporose and fibrillose in at least distal half of leaf. |
Branches | strongly 5-ranked, short and blunt, not much elongated at distal end. |
2–3 spreading and 2 pendent leaves not much elongated at distal end. |
Branch leaves | 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. |
ovate, 1–1.5 mm; straight; not or weakly undulate or recurved when dry; margins entire; hyaline cells short and wide, convex surface with 1–3 small pores per cell and on concave surface with large round wall thinnings in the cell angles; chlorophyllous cells equilateral-triangular in transverse section, broadly exposed on convex surface and just reaching to well-enclosed on concave surface. |
Sexual condition | unknown. |
monoicous. |
Spores | not seen. |
27–42 µm; both surfaces smooth, proximal surface with distinct bifurcated Y-mark sculpture surrounded by distinct circular border, distal surface with distinct raised border around margins; proximal laesura usually less than 0.4 spore radius. |
Branch | fascicles with 2 spreading and 2–3 pendent branches.; branch stems green, with cortex enlarged with retort cells. |
stems green; cortex enlarged, with conspicuously long-necked retort cells. |
Sphagnum lenense |
Sphagnum tenellum |
|
Phenology | Capsules mature early to mid summer. | |
Habitat | 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 | Wet depressions in a variety of ombrotropic and weakly minerotrophic habitats |
Elevation | low to moderate elevations | low to high elevations |
Distribution |
AK; NF; NT; NU; QC; YT; Greenland; Eurasia |
AK; ME; NC; NJ; NY; BC; MB; NB; NF; NS; Greenland; Eurasia |
Discussion | 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.) |
Sporophytes are common in Sphagnum tenellum. The delicate appearance created by the ovate and concave branch leaves as well as the large concave stem leaves make this a usually unmistakeable species. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 27, p. 70. | FNA vol. 27, p. 76. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | S. lindbergii var. microphyllum | S. cymbifolium var. tenellum, S. molluscum |
Name authority | Pohle: Trudy Glavn. Bot. Sada 33: 14. (1915) | (Bridel) Bory: Voy. Îles Afrique. 3: 107. (1804) |
Web links |