Sphagnum portoricense |
Sphagnum torreyanum |
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puerto rico sphagnum |
Torrey's 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 robust and weak-stemmed; green to golden yellow; capitulum ± rounded in emergent forms, flat in submersed forms; lacking distinct terminal bud. |
Stem(s) | leaves 1.1 × 1 mm; rarely hemiisophyllous; hyaline cells non-ornamented, frequently septate. |
leaves triangular, 1–1.7 mm, apex acute to slightly obtuse; leaves usually appressed; margins entire; hyaline cells fibrillose and usually septate at base and sides. |
Branches | clavate and rounded at distal end. |
unranked, long and tapering, leaves greatly elongated at distal end. |
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 to lanceolate, 3–5.5 mm; straight but sometimes slightly falcate-secund; weakly undulate and recurved when dry; margins entire; hyaline cells on convex surface with 0–1 pore per cell, on concave surface with round wall thinnings on the apices and angles; chlorophyllous cells narrowly triangular in transverse section and just enclosed on the concave surface. |
Sexual condition | dioicous. |
dioicous. |
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. |
26–29 µm; both surfaces distinctly papillose, appearing pusticulate to irregularly pusticulate; proximal laesura mostly less than 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 2 spreading and 2 pendent branches.; branch stems green; cortex enlarged with conspicuous retort cells. |
Sphagnum portoricense |
Sphagnum torreyanum |
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Habitat | Stream channels, shallow ponds, coniferous and hardwood swamps and pocosins | Forming wet often floating carpets in weakly minerotrophic mires |
Elevation | low to moderate elevations | low to moderate elevations |
Distribution |
AL; FL; LA; NC; NJ; NY; SC; TX; Mexico; South America; West Indies |
AL; CT; DE; FL; GA; LA; MA; MD; ME; MS; NC; NH; NJ; NY; PA; RI; SC; VA; VT; NB; NF; NS; QC; St Pierre and Miquelon (Miquelon) |
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.) |
Sporophytes are uncommon in Sphagnum torreyanum. See discussion under 24. S. atlanticum for taxonomic distinctions. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 27, p. 54. | FNA vol. 27, p. 77. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | S. sullivantianum | S. cuspidatum var. torreyi, S. cuspidatum var. miquelonense, S. kearneyi, S. laxifolium var. miquelonense |
Name authority | Hampe: Linnaea 25: 359. (1852) | Sullivant: Mem. Amer. Acad. Arts, n. s. 4: 174. (1849) |
Web links |