Sphagnum portoricense |
Sphagnum warnstorfii |
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puerto rico sphagnum |
Warnstorf's peat-moss, Warnstorf'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 small or less frequently moderate-sized, slender, capitulum flat-topped and stellate; green or dark purplish red and green, rarely green throughout, often with a distinctive bluish cast when dry. |
Stem(s) | leaves 1.1 × 1 mm; rarely hemiisophyllous; hyaline cells non-ornamented, frequently septate. |
leaves triangular-lingulate to lingulate, 1.1–1.4 mm, apex broad-rounded to narrowly truncate, border very broad at base (more than 0.3 width); hyaline cells efibrillose, rhombic, mostly 1-septate but can be non-septate. |
Branches | clavate and rounded at distal end. |
long and tapering, usually strongly 5-ranked. |
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, 0.9–1.4 mm, concave, straight, apex involute; hyaline cells on convex surface with very small ringed pores (less than 0.25 cell width) along commissures near apex, changing abruptly to large elliptical pores (0.4 cell width or more) basally, concave surface with large round pores in proximal margins and leaf base. |
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. |
17–26 µm, finely papillose on both surfaces; proximal laesura 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 1–2 pendent branches. |
Sphagnum portoricense |
Sphagnum warnstorfii |
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Phenology | Capsules mature late summer to early autumn. | |
Habitat | Stream channels, shallow ponds, coniferous and hardwood swamps and pocosins | Minerotropic, hygrophytic, frequent in medium to rich fens |
Elevation | low to moderate elevations | low to moderate elevations |
Distribution |
AL; FL; LA; NC; NJ; NY; SC; TX; Mexico; South America; West Indies |
AK; CO; CT; IA; ID; IN; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MT; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; SD; UT; VT; WA; WI; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NF; NS; NT; NU; ON; QC; SK; YT; Greenland; Eurasia
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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 warnstorfii. This is one of the most minerotrophic species of the flora, is hygrophytic, and has a very broad niche. The most commonly associated vascular plants are Thuja occidentalis, Abies balsamea, and Picea rubens. Bryophytes typically associated with it are S. centrale, S. squarrosum, S. teres, Calliergonella cuspidata, and Campylium stellatum. This species is perhaps most similar to S. bartlettianum, with which it has small range overlap. Sphagnum warnstorfii has a shorter and less sharply pointed stem leaf and the red color with a characteristic bluish caste compared to the crimson red of S. bartlettianum. See also discussion under 81. S. russowii and 86. S. talbotianum. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 27, p. 54. | FNA vol. 27, p. 101. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | S. sullivantianum | S. warnstorfianum |
Name authority | Hampe: Linnaea 25: 359. (1852) | Russow: Sitzungs.-Ber. Naturf.-Ges. Univ. Dorpat 8: 315. (1888) |
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