Sphagnum lindbergii
Sphagnum girgensohnii
brown-stem peat-moss, Lindberg's sphagnum
common green peat-moss, Girgensohn's sphagnum
leaves lingulate-spatulate, large, 1.3–1.6 mm; appressed to stem;
apex very broad and lacerate;
hyaline cells efibrillose and aporose, often septate.
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.
strongly 5-ranked and straight.
typically long and tapering, not 5-ranked.
ovate-lanceolate, 1.5–3 mm; straight to slightly subsecund; imbricate to somewhat reflexed and not undulate;
margins entire;
hyaline cells long and narrow, length to width ca. 10:1 on convex surface with 1 or more small pores in the cell ends and angles and often with numerous pseudopores along the margins, on concave surface with large round wall thinnings on the cell ends and angles; chlorophyllous cells triangular to trapezoidal in transverse section, apex often exposed on concave surface.
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.
monoicous or dioicous.
dioicous.
22–34 µm;
both surfaces smooth, apparent ridged border on proximal surface;
proximal laesura more than 0.5 spore radius.
21–27 µm, moderately to coarsely papillose on both surfaces;
proximal laesura less than 0.5 spore radius.
fascicles with 2 spreading and 2 pendent branches, leaves not much elongated at distal end.;
branch stems green, with cortex enlarged with retort cells.
fascicles with 2 spreading and 1–2 pendent branches.;
branch stem with solitary retort cells or in groups of 2–3, necks moderately distinct.
Sphagnum lindbergii
Sphagnum girgensohnii
Sporophytes are uncommon. Sphagnum lindbergii is normally easily distinguished from other carpet-forming species of sect. Cuspidata by its large, strongly lacerate stem leaf and dark brown to black stem. Sexual condition is taken from from L. I. Savicz-Lubitzkaya and Z. N. Smirnova (1968).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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.)
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