Sphagnum lindbergii
Sphagnum orientale
brown-stem peat-moss, Lindberg's sphagnum
oriental 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 triangular-lingulate to lingulate; 0.7–0.8 mm;
apex rounded and often erose, hyaline cells nonseptate or sometimes 1-septate, numerous small round pores more than 2 µm along the commissures and scattered across the cell on the convex surface, on the concave surface fewer similar-sized pores along the commissures.
strongly 5-ranked and straight.
short and slightly curved Branch fascicles with 2 spreading and 2 pendent branches.
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, 1.1–1.3 mm, distinctly curved to secund;
hyaline cells covered with numerous (more than 30 per cell) tiny pores (ca. 1 µm) on convex surface along the commissures and across the cell surface, sometimes forming several linear rows of free pores, on concave surface with fewer pores round to oval and slightly larger (more than 2 µm) restricted to commissures.
monoicous or dioicous.
probably dioicous.
not seen.
22–34 µm;
both surfaces smooth, apparent ridged border on proximal surface;
proximal laesura more than 0.5 spore radius.
not seen.
fascicles with 2 spreading and 2 pendent branches, leaves not much elongated at distal end.;
branch stems green, with cortex enlarged with retort cells.
Sphagnum lindbergii
Sphagnum orientale
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.)
The ecology of Sphagnum orientale is poorly known, due in part to taxonomic confusion with S. perfoliatum and in part to its very northern distribution. Like other species of sect. Subsecunda, however, it is clearly minerotrophic, probably weakly so. Associated vascular plants include Carex aquatilis Wahlenberg, C. bigelowii Torrey, C. fuliginosa Schkuhr, C. rotundata Wahlenberg, Eriophorum vaginatum Linnaeus, Vaccinium oxycoccus Linnaeus, and Betula glandulosa Michaux. Associated bryophytes include Sphagnum aongstroemii, S. fimbriatum subsp. concinnum, S. jensenii, S. obtusum, S. rubellum, S. talbotianum, S. squarrosum, and Cinclidium subrotundatum. Sporophytes are rare. Similar species with which it overlaps in range are S. subsecundum, S. perfoliatum and S. inexspectatum. Field separation from S. subsecundum and S. inexspectatum is difficult but the tiny branch leaf pores will separate it microsopically. Sphagnum perfoliatum is much larger and indeed looks much like some forms of S. lescurii or S.auriculatum, even to having curved, horn-like branches. Sphagnum perfoliatum is also typically quite richly colored and glossy in appearance.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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