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blunt-leaf bogmoss, blunt-leaf peat-moss, prairie sphagnum

Trinity sphagnum

Habit Plants moderate-sized to robust, strong-stemmed, lax to somewhat compact, capitulum somewhat flattened to more typically compact and rounded; green to golden brown to pale brown with often a pinkish tinge; carpets to more or less compact, low to moderate sized hummocks. Plants moderate-sized, slender and weak-stemmed, green to pale yellow; flaccid and plumose in aquatic forms to more compact and sprawling in emergent forms; green to pale yellow; capitulum not especially enlarged and differentiated.
Stem(s)

leaves to 1.7 × 1 mm, occasionally longer; rarely hemiisophyllous;

hyaline cells non-ornamented, nonseptate.

leaves ovate-triangular to triangular, 1–1.6 mm; appressed to spreading;

apex acute to slightly obtuse;

hyaline cells often fibrillose and often 1-septate.

Branches

long and tapering, leaves ± imbricate to spreading in shade forms.

straight and unranked, in capitulum tapering at distal end to a point, leaves greatly elongated at distal end.

Branch leaves

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-lanceolate to lanceolate, 2–3.5 mm; straight, undulate and slightly recurved when dry;

margin serrulate;

hyaline cells on convex surface with 0–1 small pores at cell apex on concave surface with round wall thinnings in cell angles (often indistinct or lacking); chlorophyllous cells trapezoidal in transverse section and exposed more broadly on the convex surface.

Sexual condition

dioicous.

monoicous.

Capsule

with numerous pseudostomata.

Spores

24–33 µm, surface finely papillose to smooth, distal surface with distinct bifurcated Y-mark sculpture;

proximal laesura more than 0.6 spore radius.

26–40 µm; ± roughly to densely granulose.

Branch

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.

stems green, cortex enlarged with conspicuous retort cells.

Sphagnum palustre

Sphagnum trinitense

Phenology Capsules mature mid to late summer. Capsules mature early to mid summer.
Habitat Widespread in forested fens and poor to rich sedge fens Submersed or stranded at edge of shallow, acidic pond, lakes, and roadside ditches, mostly in sandy areas of the Atlantic coastal plain
Elevation low to moderate elevations low to moderate elevations
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; CA; CT; DE; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; SC; TN; TX; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; BC; NB; NF; NS; ON; PE; QC; Europe; Pacific Islands
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
DE; FL; GA; IL; KS; LA; MA; MD; NC; NJ; NY; PA; SC; VA; South America
Discussion

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 common in Sphagnum trinitense, which can often be distinguished from S. cuspidatum in the field by the appearance of its branches when wet. In this state the branches of S. trinitense just below the capitulum resemble a fine paintbrush drawn out to a pointed tip. See also discussion under 29. S. fitzgeraldii and 39. S. mississippiense. Spore features are taken from H. A. Crum (1984).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 27, p. 53. FNA vol. 27, p. 77.
Parent taxa Sphagnaceae > Sphagnum > sect. Sphagnum Sphagnaceae > Sphagnum > sect. Cuspidata
Sibling taxa
S. affine, S. alaskense, S. andersonianum, S. angermanicum, S. angustifolium, S. annulatum, S. aongstroemii, S. arcticum, S. atlanticum, S. austinii, S. balticum, S. bartlettianum, S. beothuk, S. bergianum, S. brevifolium, S. capillifolium, S. carolinianum, S. centrale, S. compactum, S. contortum, S. cribrosum, S. cuspidatum, S. cyclophyllum, S. fallax, S. fimbriatum, S. fitzgeraldii, S. flavicomans, S. flexuosum, S. fuscum, S. girgensohnii, S. henryense, S. imbricatum, S. inexspectatum, S. inundatum, S. isoviitae, S. jensenii, S. junghuhnianum, S. kenaiense, S. lenense, S. lescurii, S. lindbergii, S. macrophyllum, S. magellanicum, S. majus, S. mcqueenii, S. mendocinum, S. microcarpum, S. mirum, S. mississippiense, S. molle, S. obtusum, S. oregonense, S. orientale, S. pacificum, S. papillosum, S. perfoliatum, S. perichaetiale, S. platyphyllum, S. portoricense, S. pulchrum, S. pylaesii, S. quinquefarium, S. recurvum, S. riparium, S. rubellum, S. rubiginosum, S. rubroflexuosum, S. russowii, S. sitchense, S. splendens, S. squarrosum, S. steerei, S. strictum, S. subfulvum, S. subnitens, S. subsecundum, S. subtile, S. talbotianum, S. tenellum, S. tenerum, S. teres, S. torreyanum, S. trinitense, S. tundrae, S. viride, S. warnstorfii, S. wilfii, S. wulfianum
S. affine, S. alaskense, S. andersonianum, S. angermanicum, S. angustifolium, S. annulatum, S. aongstroemii, S. arcticum, S. atlanticum, S. austinii, S. balticum, S. bartlettianum, S. beothuk, S. bergianum, S. brevifolium, S. capillifolium, S. carolinianum, S. centrale, S. compactum, S. contortum, S. cribrosum, S. cuspidatum, S. cyclophyllum, S. fallax, S. fimbriatum, S. fitzgeraldii, S. flavicomans, S. flexuosum, S. fuscum, S. girgensohnii, S. henryense, S. imbricatum, S. inexspectatum, S. inundatum, S. isoviitae, S. jensenii, S. junghuhnianum, S. kenaiense, S. lenense, S. lescurii, S. lindbergii, S. macrophyllum, S. magellanicum, S. majus, S. mcqueenii, S. mendocinum, S. microcarpum, S. mirum, S. mississippiense, S. molle, S. obtusum, S. oregonense, S. orientale, S. pacificum, S. palustre, S. papillosum, S. perfoliatum, S. perichaetiale, S. platyphyllum, S. portoricense, S. pulchrum, S. pylaesii, S. quinquefarium, S. recurvum, S. riparium, S. rubellum, S. rubiginosum, S. rubroflexuosum, S. russowii, S. sitchense, S. splendens, S. squarrosum, S. steerei, S. strictum, S. subfulvum, S. subnitens, S. subsecundum, S. subtile, S. talbotianum, S. tenellum, S. tenerum, S. teres, S. torreyanum, S. tundrae, S. viride, S. warnstorfii, S. wilfii, S. wulfianum
Synonyms S. cymbifolium S. cuspidatum var. serratum, S. cuspidatum var. serrulatum, S. helleri, S. laxifolium var. serrulatum, S. serratum
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 1106. (1753) Müller Hal.: Syn. Musc. Frond. 1: 102. (1848)
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