Sphagnum portoricense |
Sphagnum rubiginosum |
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puerto rico sphagnum |
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Habit | Plants moderate-sized to often quite robust, ± weak-stemmed, lax; green, bluish green, green and brown to dark golden brown, often speckled in appearance; found submerged in shallow water, stranded along shore lines in loose carpets. | Plants slender to moderately robust, capitulum flat-topped to somewhate convex, terminal bud rather conspicuous, slightly to distinctly stellate; green to variegated green and brown-red to red-brown, lacking metallic sheen when dry. |
Stem(s) | leaves 1.1 × 1 mm; rarely hemiisophyllous; hyaline cells non-ornamented, frequently septate. |
leaves broadly lingulate-spathulate to spatulate, widest at base and/or distal third, usually narrower in the mid region, 1–1.3 mm, apex narrowly to broadly truncate and ± fimbriate-lacerate, border narrow distally and expanded proximally to 0.25 width or more; hyaline cells efibrillose, irregularly rhombic to subquadrate, many cells 2–4-septate. |
Branches | clavate and rounded at distal end. |
unranked. |
Branch leaves | broadly ovate, 2.4 × 1.7 mm; hyaline cells on convex surface with numerous round pores along the commissures, comb-lamellae on hyaline cell walls where overlying chlorophyllous cells; chlorophyllous cells broadly triangular in transverse section and well-enclosed on the convex surface. |
ovate-lanceolate, 1.1–1.4 mm, slightly concave, straight, apex involute; hyaline cells on convex surface grading from aporose to few small round pores near apex to numerous semi-elliptic pores along commissures in middle and base of leaf, concave surface with a few large irregular to circular pores (1–4) occupying most of the cell width. |
Sexual condition | dioicous. |
autoicous. |
Capsule | with pseudostomata. |
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Spores | 22–29 µm; finely papillose on both surfaces; indistinct triradiate ridge on distal surface; proximal laesura 0.5–0.6 spore radius. |
20–27 µm, moderately granulate-papillose on both surfaces, distinct raise Y-mark sculpture on distal surface; proximal laesura less than or equal to 0.5 spore radius. |
Branch | fascicles with 2 spreading and 2 pendent branches.; branch stems with hyaline cell comb-lamellae visible on interior cortex wall, cortical cell end walls with conspicuous funnel projections more than 1/2 length of cell, superficial cortical wall aporose. |
fascicles with 3(4–5) spreading branches and 1–2 pendent branches. |
Sphagnum portoricense |
Sphagnum rubiginosum |
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Phenology | Capsules mature mid to late summer. | |
Habitat | Stream channels, shallow ponds, coniferous and hardwood swamps and pocosins | Shaded areas in humid, spruce forests |
Elevation | low to moderate elevations | low to moderate elevations |
Distribution |
AL; FL; LA; NC; NJ; NY; SC; TX; Mexico; South America; West Indies |
AK; WA; BC; NF; Europe |
Discussion | Sphagnum portoricense is normally very easily distinguished because of its wet growing habit and strongly clavate branches. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
The sporophytes of Sphagnum rubiginosum are common. The geographic distribution is unclear because of the species’ recent description and possible confusion with S. girgensohnii. It is clearly distinct from S. girgensohnii in coloration, number of spreading branch fascicles, the common occurrence of sporophytes (rarely found with S. girgensohnii, and spore morophology. The conspicuous three spreading branches will separate this from all species of sect. Acutifolia except S. quinquefarium. The latter has 5-ranked branch leaves, while those of S. rubiginosum are unranked. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 27, p. 54. | FNA vol. 27, p. 96. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | S. sullivantianum | |
Name authority | Hampe: Linnaea 25: 359. (1852) | Flatberg: Lindbergia 18: 61. (1993) |
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