Sphagnum microcarpum |
Sphagnum subsecundum |
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cow-horn peat-moss, sphagnum |
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Habit | Plants small; green to light green, capitulum indistinct. | Plants small, slender, often wiry; green, yellow-brown or golden brown; capitulum small with terminal bud absent. |
Stem(s) | leaves isophyllous, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 2.2–2.8 mm; apex rounded; hyaline cells nonseptate, convex surface with 6–12 pores per cell along commissures, concave surface aporose. |
leaves triangular-lingulate, 0.8 mm or less; apex entire or weakly denticulate, hyaline cells sometimes septate, efibrillose and aporose except near apex. |
Branches | straight and short. |
often short and blunt. |
Branch leaves | ovate, 1.3–1.7 mm; hyaline cells on convex surface with 8–18 elliptic pores more than 8 µm, concave surface aporose. |
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Sexual condition | unknown. |
dioicous. |
Capsule | not seen. |
exserted, with few pseudostomata. |
Spores | not seen. |
30–35 µm; finely papillose on both surfaces, distinct bifurcated Y-mark sculpture on distal surface; proximal laesurae more than 0.5 spore radius. |
Branch | fascicles nearly all with 2 spreading branch only. |
fascicles with 2–3 spreading and 2–3 pendent branches Branch leaves broadly ovate, subsecund, hyaline cells on convex surface with very numerous small pores (18–40 per cell) in a continuous row along the commissures, concave surface usually aporose. |
Sphagnum microcarpum |
Sphagnum subsecundum |
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Habitat | Ruderal sites such as dessication-prone depressions, ditches, tire tracks, and natural depressions among tussocks | Minerotrophic, near the edges of open, poor fens, less commonly found in open medium fens |
Elevation | low elevations | low to high elevations |
Distribution |
FL; LA; NC |
AK; CA; CO; CT; ID; IL; IN; MA; ME; MI; MN; MT; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OR; PA; RI; VT; WA; WI; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NF; NS; NT; ON; QC; YT; Greenland; Eurasia
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Discussion | Sporophytes are rare in Sphagnum microcarpum, which grows over bare soil in a manner similar to that of S. cyclophyllum and S. fitzgeraldii. It is now recognized as separate from S. cyclophyllum, with which it has been treated as synonymous in the past. Besides the microscopic differences, S. microcarpum has a compact upright growth form quite unlike that of typical S. cyclophyllum. Sphagnum microcarpum is nearly always branched whereas S. cyclophyllum is nearly always simplex. The name Sphagnum mobilense Warnstorf also has been applied to this taxon. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Sporophytes are rare in Sphagnum subsecundum. This species is often associated with S. angustifolium, S. centrale, S. fimbriatum, S. flexuosum, S. palustre, and S. teres. The most widespread and common species of sect. Subsecunda, it exhibits considerable phenotypic plasticity in size. However, the stem leaves are always quite small in comparison to those of similar species. See also discussions under 52. S. contortum and 55. S. inexspectatum. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 27, p. 82. | FNA vol. 27, p. 84. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | S. microcarpum var. humile | S. crispum |
Name authority | Warnstorf: Hedwigia 47: 94. (1907) | Nees: in J. Sturm et al., Deutschl. Fl. 2(17): species 3. (1819) |
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