Sphagnum recurvum
Sphagnum brevifolium
recurved sphagnum
pale green to yellowish;
superficial cortex of 2 layers of enlarged, thin-walled and well differentiated cells.;
stem leaves triangular, triangular-lingulate to lingulate, more than 0.8 mm, appressed, apex obtuse to broadly obtuse, erose to fimbriate;
hyaline cells efibrillose and nonseptate.
leaves triangular to lingulate-triangular, apex apiculate, acute and sometimes slightly obtuse, spreading or sometimes appressed;
hyaline cells nonseptate and often fibrillose at leaf apex.
straight and often tapering, often 5-ranked, leaves not much elongate at distal end of branches.
straight to distinctly curved, leaves unranked to 5-ranked, leaves not greatly elongate at branch distal end.
ovate-lanceolate, 1.4–2 mm, straight; slightly undulate and sharply recurved;
margins entire;
hyaline cells on convex surface with 1 pore per cell at cell apex, concave surface with round wall thinnings in the cell ends and angles; chlorophyllous cells triangular in transverse section and well-enclosed on concave surface.
ovate to ovate-lanceolate, greater than 1.2 mm, often subsecund, slightly undulate and slightly recurved when dry;
margin entire;
hyaline cells on convex surface with 1 pore per cell in apical end, on concave surface with round wall thinnings in the cell ends and angles; chlorophyllous cells equilateral to isosceles-triangular, well-enclosed on the concave surface.
dioicous.
dioicous.
22–28 µm;
papillose on both surfaces;
proximal laesura more than 0.5 spore radius.
not seen.
fascicles with 2 spreading and 2 pendent branches.;
branch stems green, cortex enlarged with conspicuous retort cells.
fascicles with 2 spreading and 1–2 pendent branches.;
branch stems with cortex enlarged with conspicuous retort cells, sometimes reddish at proximal end.
Sphagnum recurvum
Sphagnum brevifolium
Sporophytes in Sphagnum recurvum are uncommon. This species is found exclusively in the New World. It has several strong characters that distinguish it from S. flexuosum, and the opinion of H. A. Crum (1997) that the two species are synonymous is rejected. See discussion under 30. S. flexuosum.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Details of the distribution of Sphagnum brevifolium are unclear because of confusion with S. fallax and S. isoviitae. This seems to be a species of poor to medium fens, where it occurs in depressions and floating mats; it does not appear to form extensive fast-growing mats as do S. fallax, S. isoviitae, and S. pacificum. Sphagnum brevifolium is one of five species in the S. recurvum complex with apiculate stem leaves. On the Pacific coast it seemingly co-occurs only with S. pacificum, from which it differs in having branch leaves less sharply recurved and more strongly 5-ranked. In eastern North America it is quite uncommon but can occur with both S. fallax and S. isoviitae of S. recurvum, in the broad sense. Sphagnum fallax has more sharply recurved branch leaves. Sphagnum splendens has a distinct shiny look. The much more common S. isoviitae has a distinctly flatter capitulum, narrower branch leaves and wider stem leaves. In fact, the relatively broad branch leaves of S. brevifolium sometimes can give it the appearance of a slender S. pulchrum, but the latter has much more strongly 5-ranked branch leaves and lacks paired pendent branch buds. See also discussion under 22. S. angustifolium.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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