Sphagnum palustre
blunt-leaf bogmoss, blunt-leaf peat-moss, prairie sphagnum
leaves to 1.7 × 1 mm, occasionally longer; rarely hemiisophyllous;
hyaline cells non-ornamented, nonseptate.
long and tapering, leaves ± imbricate to spreading in shade forms.
broadly ovate, 2.2 × 1.3 mm, hyaline cells non-ornamented, convex surface with elliptic pores along the commissures, chlorophyllous cells isosceles-triangular to ovate-triangular in transverse section and just enclosed to just exposed on the convex surface;
end wall not thickened.
dioicous.
with numerous pseudostomata.
24–33 µm, surface finely papillose to smooth, distal surface with distinct bifurcated Y-mark sculpture;
proximal laesura more than 0.6 spore radius.
fascicles with 2 spreading and 2 pendent branches.;
branch stems with hyaline cells non-ornamented;
no or weak funnel-like projections on the interior end walls, often with 1 large pore per cell on superficial cell walls.
Sphagnum palustre
Sphagnum palustre may occur elsewhere than listed above, but the taxonomy is unclear. In some open-grown situations, it may have a reddish tinge and seem similar to S. magellanicum, but this is a pinkish red color rather than the purplish red of the latter. See discussions under 5. S. henryense and 9. S. papillosum for distinction from those species.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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