Sphagnum magellanicum
Sphagnum russowii
Magellan's sphagnum, magellanic peat-moss
Russow's peat-moss, Russow's sphagnum
leaves to 2 × 0.7 mm; rarely hemiisophyllous;
hyaline cells non-ornamented, mostly nonseptate.
leaves lingulate, 1.3–1.6 mm, apex broadly rounded or pointed and notched (sometimes denticulate), border strong and broadened at base (more than 0.25 width);
hyaline cells short sinuoid-rhombic, mostly efibrillose, 0–1(–2)-septate.
long and tapering to short and pointed, leaves loosely imbricate.
long and slender, never 5-ranked.
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-lanceolate, 1.3–1.6 mm, concave, straight, apex strongly involute;
hyaline cells on convex surface with numerous round to elliptic pores along the commissures, grading from small round pores near the apex to large elliptic pores at the base, concave surface usually with large round pores throughout, but sometimes restricted to proximal portions of leaf.
dioicous.
dioicous, but some specimens apparently monoicous.
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.
18–33 µm, coarsely papillose on both surfaces;
proximal laesura more than 0.5 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.
fascicles with 2 spreading and 1–2 pendent branches.
Sphagnum magellanicum
Sphagnum russowii
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.)
Sporophytes are uncommon in Sphagnum russowii. This species is associated with S. centrale, S. fallax, S. fimbriatum, S. girgensohnii, and S. squarrosum. Because of its not particularly distinct phenotype as well its strong tendency to produce hemiisophyllous stem leaves, S. russowii is probably the most frequently misidentified Sphagnum species. The combination of the flat, stellate capitulum, unranked branch leaves, and lingulate stem leaf will usually suffice to identify it. Sphagnum capillifolium has a rounded capitulum and a pointed stem leaf while S. subtile also has a rounded capitulum but a shorter and more triangular stem leaf. In montane and arctic mires it can be confused with S. warnstorfii but the latter usually has conspicuously 5-ranked branch leaves. As one might expect in such a widespread and common species, the characters can vary considerably. For example, one regularly finds plants that are consistent in every respect with the description except that they lack stem cortical pores. Some stem leaves have almost no septations in the hyaline cells while other forms have most of the cells septate. As with similar variation in the likewise common S. fuscum, there is no consistent pattern and so taxonomic recognition of the variants is unwarranted.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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WildflowerSearch
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- Local floras: BC
- Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, IL Wildflowers, MD Biodiversity, MI Flora, MN Wildflowers, MO Plants, PNW Herbaria
- WildflowerSearch
- iNaturalist (observations)
- USDA Plants Database
- LBJ Wildflower Center
- SEINet
- Plants of the World Online
- Encyclopedia of Life
- Wikipedia
- Google Image Search
