Sphagnum palustre
Sphagnum obtusum
blunt-leaf bogmoss, blunt-leaf peat-moss, prairie sphagnum
sphagnum
leaves to 1.7 × 1 mm, occasionally longer; rarely hemiisophyllous;
hyaline cells non-ornamented, nonseptate.
pale green to pale brown;
superficial cortex of weakly to moderately differentiated.;
stem leaves triangular-lingulate, 0.9–1.3 mm; usually appressed;
apex obtuse and often erose;
hyaline cells efibrillose and nonseptate.
long and tapering, leaves ± imbricate to spreading in shade forms.
tapering or in more robust forms, frequently blunt, straight to arcuate, leaves slightly to moderately elongated at distal end.
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.
ovate to ovate-lanceolate; more than 1.8 mm; straight, stiff, not much undulate and reflexed to recurved;
margins entire;
hyaline cells on convex surface with a few end pores, but mostly numerous small to very small (often barely visible) pores or wall thinnings free from the commissures, on concave surface similar, but with pores generally fewer and larger; chlorophyllous cells triangular in transverse section, just reaching concave surface or slightly enclosed.
dioicous.
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.
18–27 µm;
both surfaces covered with rough, irregular verrucate plates of papillae, bifurcated Y-mark sculpture on distal surface;
proximal laesura less than 0.5 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.
fascicles with 2 spreading and 2 pendent branches.;
branch stems green, with cortex enlarged with conspicuous retort cells.
Sphagnum palustre
Sphagnum obtusum
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.)
Sporophytes are uncommon in Sphagnum obtusum. This is a quite phenotypically variable species that warrants further investigation, which may result in taxonomic splitting. The strongly obtuse stem leaf should separate it from any similar species with which it occurs. Sphagnum mendocinum looks similar phenotypically but there appears to be no range overlap with S. obtusum. The tiny branch leaf pores, which may seem like no more than pinpricks in the cell surface, easily separate S. obtusum microscopically from other species of sect. Cuspidata.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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