Sphagnum mendocinum
Sphagnum annulatum
Mendocino sphagnum
sphagnum
leaves broadly oblong-triangular, 1.2–1.5 mm; mostly appressed to stem;
apex obtuse;
hyaline cells narrow, usually nonseptate, efibrillose and aporose on convex surface near apex, on concave surface usually efibrillose with irregular pores along commissures in distal portion of leaf.
leaves lingulate-triangular to triangular-lingulate, equal to or less than 1.2 mm, more or less spreading;
apex obtuse;
hyaline cells mostly fibrillose and nonseptate.
with loosely imbricate leaves; often 5-ranked;
leaves little to somewhat elongated at distal end.
straight to distinctly curved, leaves becoming substantially longer at distal end of the branch.
ovate, ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate; 2–3.5 mm;
flat and undulate at margins and recurved at apex when dry; straight;
margins entire;
hyaline cells on concave surface with very numerous, small ringed or unringed pores along the commissures, 5–12 in distal portion of leaf and 20–27 in proximal portion, convex surface with 5–15 pores per cell in distal portion of leaf and 14–21 in proximal portion, pores usually without a ring; chlorophyllous cells triangular to trapezoidal in transverse section and exposed slightly on concave surface.
ovate-lanceolate, 1.5–2 mm, straight to slightly subsecund, only slightly undulate and recurved if at all;
margin entire;
hyaline cells on convex surface with numerous small free pores, on concave surface with numerous round free pores, cells relatively short in basal region (similar to mid region); chlorophyllous cells ± triangular in transverse section, just reaching concave surface or slightly enclosed.
dioicous.
dioicous.
ca. 30 µm;
very slightly roughened.
25–32 µm, finely papillose on both surfaces.
fascicles with 2 spreading and 2–3 pendent branches.;
branch stems green, with cortical cells in 1 layer with conspicuous necks.
fascicles with 2 spreading and 1–2 pendent branches.;
branch stems green, with cortex enlarged with conspicuous retort cells.
Sphagnum mendocinum
Sphagnum annulatum
Sporophytes of Sphagnum mendocinum are uncommon. Although the unique branch leaf porosity makes it unmistakable microscopically, it may be confused with other species in the field. It is unusual ecologically in that it seems to overlap both the carpet- and lawn-forming habits—in other words it seems intermediate between S. recurvum and S. cuspidatum, in the broad sense. Among the species that it overlaps floristically, it is more robust and darker colored than S. pacificum. The latter also has an apiculate stem leaf compared to the more or less obtuse stem leaves of S. mendocinum. The more wet-growing S. majus var. majus and S. majus var. norvegicum, with which it slightly overlaps in habitat, have branch leaves that are strongly elongated at the distal branch ends whereas those of S. mendocinum are not. See also discussion under 40. S. obtusum. Sexual condition and spore characters are taken from from H. A. Crum (1984).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Sporophytes are rare in Sphagnum annulatum. Of the more wet-growing species, both S. cuspidatum and S. viride are typically much more green or yellow and have stem leaves with acute apices. Sphagnum jensenii is usually larger and has straight capitulum branches as opposed to the more curved branches of S. annulatum. Sphagnum majus normally has a denser and more rounded capitulum. Field experience in both Alaska and Scandanavia, where both species occur, does not support the view of H. A. Crum (1997) that S. annulatum and S. jensenii are simply ends of a continuum. Both species are usually readily separable in the field and look quite different in mixed populations. In North America at least S. annulatum is also considerably more widespread.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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