Sphagnum perfoliatum |
Sphagnum contortum |
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contorted sphagnum, twisted peat-moss |
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Habit | Plants moderate-sized, upright but weak-stemmed; golden brown to dark brown; capitulum distinct and often with strongly curved branches. | Plants moderate to small-sized, weak-stemmed to spawling; green, yellow-green to golden brown; capitulum usually large and flat with curved branches; green, yellow-green, or golden brown. |
Stem(s) | leaves triangular-lingulate to lingulate; 0.8–1.2 mm; apex rounded and sometimes erose; hyaline cells non-septate or sometimes septate, usually fibrillose in distal 1/2 of leaf, convex surface with very small pores (ca. 2 µm) along commisures and free, concave surface with fewer commissural pores. |
leaves triangular-lingulate to lingulate, 0.7–1.4 mm; apex rounded-obtuse and weakly denticulate; hyaline cells nonseptate, mostly efibrillose, and, if porose, with more pores per cell on the concave surface (3–6) than on the convex surface (0–2). |
Branches | turgid and often strongly curved. |
somewhat curved, leaves spreading. |
Branch leaves | ovate-lanceolate; 1.4 or more mm; mostly subsecund; hyaline cells on convex surface with numerous small (2 µm or more) pores along the commissures and sometimes free, concave surface with no pores or fewer small pores along the commissures. |
ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 1.2–2 mm; subsecund; hyaline cells with numerous tiny pores in a continuous line along the commissures on the convex surface, no or scattered pores on the concave surface. |
Sexual condition | not known. |
dioicous. |
Capsule | not seen. |
exserted, with scattered pseudo-stomata. |
Spores | not seen. |
22–28 µm; papillose on both surfaces; proximal laesurae more than 0.5 spore radius. |
Branch | fascicles with 2 spreading and 2 pendent branches. |
fascicles with 2–3 spreading and 2–3(4) pendent branches. |
Sphagnum perfoliatum |
Sphagnum contortum |
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Habitat | Low to moderate elevations | Very minerotrophic, sometimes found in slightly basic mires, intolerant of shade |
Elevation | low to moderate elevations | |
Distribution |
AK; NT; Asia |
AK; CA; CO; CT; ID; IL; IN; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OR; PA; RI; VT; WA; WI; WV; AB; BC; NF; NS; ON; QC; Eurasia |
Discussion | For ecology, see discussion under 59. Sphagnum orientale. Sporophytes of Sphagnum perfoliatum are apparently rare. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Sporophytes are rare in Sphagnum contortum. This species is often associated with S. warnstorfii, S. centrale, Campylium stellatum, and Calliergonella cuspidata. The relatively small size, curved capitulum branches, and loosely spreading, subsecund branch leaves separate this species along with S. subsecundum. See also discussion under 61. S. platyphyllum. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 27, p. 83. | FNA vol. 27, p. 80. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Name authority | L. I. Savicz: Bot. Mater. Otd. Sporov. Rast. Bot. Inst. Komarova Akad. Nauk S.S.S.R. 7: 208. (1951) | Schultz: Prodr. Fl. Starg. Suppl., 64. (1819) |
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