Sphagnum magellanicum |
Sphagnum inundatum |
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Magellan's sphagnum, magellanic peat-moss |
lesser cow-horn bog-moss, lesser cow-horn peat moss, water sphagnum |
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Habit | Plants moderate-sized to robust, somewhat lax in shade forms to quite compact and stiff in open grown forms; green to pinkish green to reddish purple; forms lawns in shaded habitats and low to moderately tall, dense hummocks in open habitats. | Plants moderate-sized, green in the shade to variegated yellow or orange or both in open habitats; capitulum typically rounded. |
Stem(s) | leaves to 2 × 0.7 mm; rarely hemiisophyllous; hyaline cells non-ornamented, mostly nonseptate. |
leaves lingulate to triangular-lingulate, 0.9–1.2 mm, apex rounded, usually 1/3–1/2 of leaf fibrillose; hyaline cells usually fibrillose in distal 1/3–1/2 of leaf, on convex surface near apex with 1–3 pores per cell, on concave surface near apex 1–4 pores per cell. |
Branches | long and tapering to short and pointed, leaves loosely imbricate. |
arched but rarely curved and contorted. |
Branch leaves | 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. |
ovate, 1–1.5 mm, straight to slightly subsecund; hyaline cells of convex surface with numerous ringed pores along the commissures (12–22 per cell), 0–3 pores per cell on the concave surface. |
Sexual condition | dioicous. |
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Capsule | with numerous pseudostomata. |
with few pseudostomata. |
Spores | 22–30 µm; roughly papillose to nearly smooth, with distinct Y-mark sculpture on distal surface; proximal laesura 0.5–0.8 spore radius. |
30–37 µm; finely papillose on both surfaces, indistinct raised Y-shaped sculpture on distal surface; proximal laesura 0.5 spore radius or less. |
Branch | 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. |
fascicles with 2–3 spreading and 2–3 pendent branches. |
Sphagnum magellanicum |
Sphagnum inundatum |
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Phenology | Capsules mature mid summer. | |
Habitat | Ecological amplitude very wide, ombrotrophic to rich fen peatlands, forested and open mires | Weakly minerotrophic habitats such as the margins of ponds, marshes, and mires, in addition to seeps and dripping cliff faces |
Elevation | low to high elevations | low to moderate elevations |
Distribution |
AK; AL; AR; CA; CT; DE; FL; GA; ID; IL; IN; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; MT; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OR; PA; SC; TN; TX; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; AB; BC; MB; NB; NF; NS; NT; ON; PE; QC; SK; YT; South America; Eurasia
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AK; CT; DE; KY; MA; ME; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; SC; VA; VT; WV; BC; NB; NF; NS; QC; Eurasia |
Discussion | 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.) |
The sporophytes of Sphagnum inundatum are uncommon. The ovate, concave branch leaves that are occasionally subsecund give this species an appearance similar to that of S. subsecundum, from which it can usually be distinguished by its larger size. Sphagnum lescurii typically has distinctly larger stem leaves and capitulum branches that can be quite turgid and curved in open-grown forms. The names Sphagnum bavaricum Warnstorf and S. bushii Warnstorf & Cardot have been applied to this taxon. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 27, p. 52. | FNA vol. 27, p. 81. |
Parent taxa | Sphagnaceae > Sphagnum > sect. Sphagnum | Sphagnaceae > Sphagnum > sect. Subsecunda |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | S. auriculatum var. inundatum, S. novo-foundlandicum, S. subsecundum var. inundatum | |
Name authority | Bridel: Muscol. Recent. 2(1): 24. (1798) | Russow: Arch. Naturk. Liv- Ehst- Kurlands, Ser. 2, Biol. Naturk. 10: 390. (1894) |
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