Sphagnum magellanicum
Magellan's sphagnum, magellanic peat-moss
leaves to 2 × 0.7 mm; rarely hemiisophyllous;
hyaline cells non-ornamented, mostly nonseptate.
long and tapering to short and pointed, leaves loosely imbricate.
broadly ovate, to 2 × 1 mm or more wide, broadly ovate, hyaline cells non-ornamented, convex surface with round to elliptic pores along the commissures; chlorophyllous cells short-elliptic in transverse section and well-enclosed on both surfaces.
dioicous.
with numerous pseudostomata.
22–30 µm; roughly papillose to nearly smooth, with distinct Y-mark sculpture on distal surface;
proximal laesura 0.5–0.8 spore radius.
fascicles with 2–3 spreading and 2–3 pendent branches.;
branch stems with hyaline cells non-ornamented;
no or weak funnel-like projections on the interior end walls, large round pores on superficial cell walls.
Sphagnum magellanicum
As the only boreal species of the section with a reddish purple color, Sphagnum magellanicum is usually easy to identify. The branch leaf chlorophyll cells are capable of being confused only with those of S. alaskense, which are less enclosed on both surfaces, and S. centrale, which has thickened end walls on the chlorophyll cells that give them a narrow exposure on the concave surface.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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