Sphagnum mendocinum
Sphagnum fimbriatum
Mendocino sphagnum
fringe bogmoss, fringe peat-moss, 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 spatulate to broad-spatulate, 0.8–1.5(–2) mm, strongly lacerate across the broad apex and often part way down the margins, border scarcely to strongly broadened at base (0.25 width of base or less);
hyaline cells rhomboid, efibrillose and often 1–2-septate.
with loosely imbricate leaves; often 5-ranked;
leaves little to somewhat elongated at distal end.
not 5-ranked, quite terete, long, and slender Branch fascicles with 1– 2 spreading and 1–2 pendent branches.
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 to ovate-lanceolate; 1.1–1.5(–2) mm, slightly concave, straight;
apex involute;
margins entire;
hyaline cells on convex surface with numerous pores along the commissures grading from small pores near leaf apex to large pores at base, concave surface with large round pores at leaf apex and along margins.
dioicous.
often monoicous.
ca. 30 µm;
very slightly roughened.
20–27 µm, finely papillose on both surfaces;
proximal laesura less than 0.5 spore radius.
fascicles with 2 spreading and 2–3 pendent branches.;
branch stems green, with cortical cells in 1 layer with conspicuous necks.
Sphagnum mendocinum
Sphagnum fimbriatum
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.)
Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Plants small and slender, capitulum small and with a conspicuous terminal bud; stem leaves fimbriate down the sides and weakly to moderately bordered at the base | subsp. fimbriatum |
1. Plants moderate-sized and compact, capitulum moderate sized and lacking a conspicuous terminal bud; stem leaves entire down the sides and strongly bordered at the base | subsp. concinnum |
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