Sphagnum lescurii
Sphagnum pulchrum
Lescur's sphagnum
sphagnum
leaves lingulate to ovate-lingulate, 1.3–2 mm;
apex truncate to rounded, usually denticulate;
hyaline cells typically fibrillose for 1/2 of leaf or more, often 1–2-septate, convex surface with 4–12 or more pores per cell along the commissures, concave surface with fewer pores.
leaves triangular to triangular-lingulate, 0.9–1.1 mm; appressed to spreading;
apex apiculate, acute or narrowly obtuse, appressed to spreading;
hyaline cells nonseptate and efibrillose.
usually curving, often large and tumid.
straight to more typically curved, typically stout and blunt ended; strongly 5-ranked, leaves not much elongate at distal end.
broadly ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 1.3–2.5 mm, greatly elongated in aquatic forms, straight or infrequently subsecund or subsquarrose;
hyaline cells with 10–22 pores along the commissures on the convex surface, no or fewer pores per cell (1–8) on the concave surface.
ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 1.4–1.8 mm; straight to often subsecund; weakly undulate and slightly recurved;
hyaline cells on convex surface with 1 pore per cell at apical end of cell, on concave surface with round wall thinnings in the cells ends and angles; chlorophyllous cells triangular to triangular-ovate in transverse section, very well-enclosed within concave surface.
dioicous.
dioicous.
exserted, with few pseudostomata.
27–34 µm; finely papillose on both surfaces, with distinct raised Y-mark sculpture (indistinctly bifurcated Y-mark) on the distal surface;
proximal laesura less than 0.5 spore radius.
25–28 µm; roughly papillous on both surfaces;
proximal laesura more than 0.5 the length of the spore.
fascicles with 2(rarely 3) spreading and 1–2(–3) pendent branches.
fascicles with 2 spreading and 2 pendent branches.;
branch stems green but often reddish at proximal end, with cortex enlarged with conspicuous retort cells.
Sphagnum lescurii
Sphagnum pulchrum
Sporophytes are uncommon in Sphagnum lescurii, which may be the most phenotypically variable of all the North American Sphagnum species, and quite probably deserves some taxonomic splitting. The tremendous phenotypic plasticity of this species, however, makes it quite difficult to sort out the genotypic component of variability, and thus most sphagnologists since Warnstorf have avoided the temptation of splitting and have instead treated this as one very variable species. This is the approach maintained in this treatment. We have also chosen not to use the earlier name S. denticulatum because its type is a phenotypic morphotype not clearly assignable to the current concept of either S. auriculatum or S. lescurii (K. I. Flatberg, pers. comm.). Some of the American material assignable to S. lescurii is quite likely the same as the European species S. auriculatum, but much of our material is certainly not the same. Until more definitive data are available, we have chosen to continue to use the name S. lescurii. The large stem leaf will generally distinguish this from similar species of sect. Subsecunda. See also discussion under 55. S. inundatum and 61. S. platyphyllum.
The names Sphagnum alabamae Warnstorf, S. aquatile Warnstorf, S. obesum (Wilson) Warnstorf, S. rufescens (Nees & Hornschuch) Warnstorf, and S. turgidulum Warnstorf also have been applied to this taxon.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Sporophytes are uncommon in Sphagnum pulchrum. With its distinctive broad and strongly 5-ranked branch leaves, It is one of our most easily recognized species.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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