Sphagnum riparium |
Sphagnum bergianum |
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cleft peat-moss, streamside sphagnum |
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Habit | Plants stiff and upright, large; green to pale green to brownish, capitulum large and flat, with a conspicuous terminal bud. | Plants moderate-sized to robust, capitulum more or less flat-topped and large; dark brown overall with a golden center to the capitulum and a distinctive deep red tinge in the field which becomes a pinkish purple sheen upon drying. |
Stem(s) | leaves triangular-lingulate, 1.2–1.4 mm; apex with a deep lacerate split; hyaline cells aporose, efibrillose and often septate. |
leaves broadly triangular-lingulate, 1.15–1.25 × 0.8 mm, apex slightly to broadly obtuse, border moderately broadened at base; hyaline cells mostly 1-septate with a few to many 2-septate in the mid region, shape rhomboid. |
Branches | unranked to rarely 5-ranked, branch leaves only weakly undulate, but sharply recurved at the apex, leaves not much elongated at distal end. |
more or less 5-ranked. |
Branch leaves | ovate-lanceolate; 2–2.6 mm; straight; weakly undulate but strongly recurved, hyaline cells on convex surface with very large irregular pores (formed from the confluence of several smaller pores) at the cell apex, concave surface with large round wall thinnings in the cell angles; chlorophyllous cells triangular to trapezoidal in transverse section, apex normally slightly exposed on concave surface. |
1.2–1.3 × 0.65–0.75 mm, broadly ovate, apex involute; hyaline cells on convex surface with numerous round to elliptic pores along the commissures, these grading from small pores at the apex to large pores at the base; concave surface aporose except for a few large pores in the lower side regions. |
Sexual condition | dioicous. |
dioicous. |
Spores | 22–28 µm; proximal surface noticeably papillose, distal surface smooth or with fewer papillae; proximal laesura more than 0.5 the length of the radius. |
26–30 µm. |
Branch | fascicles with 2 spreading and 2 pendent branches.; branch stem green, cortex enlarged with retort cells. |
fascicles with 2 spreading and 1 hanging branch. |
Sphagnum riparium |
Sphagnum bergianum |
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Habitat | Forming often extensive carpets in weakly minerotrophic mires | Hummocks in fens |
Elevation | low to moderate elevations | low to moderate elevations |
Distribution |
AK; CT; IN; MA; ME; MI; MN; MT; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; VT; WA; AB; BC; MB; NB; NF; NS; NT; ON; PE; QC; SK; YT; Greenland; Eurasia |
AK; NF |
Discussion | Sporophytes are uncommon in Sphagnum riparium. This species is typically very easily recognized in the field with its pale green color, strong terminal bud, and unranked branch leaves. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Sphagnum bergianum forms dense hummocks in medium to rich fen habitats and is associated with such species as Sphagnum warnstorfii, S. subfulvum, S. subsecundum, S. platyphyllum and S. fuscum. Sphagnum bergianum is quite distinct in the field from its very dark brown color tinged with a deep red as well as its 5-ranked branch leaves. Sphagnum subnitens is colored a light brown and red combination, and has unranked branch leaves. Sphagnum subfulvum has a golden brown color that can be tinged with purple but also has unranked branch leaves. Sphagnum flavicomans is a similar-sized brown species of sect. Acutifolia that overlaps S. bergianum in Newfoundland but it is golden brown, lacks the red tinge and has a longer and narrower branch and stem leaves. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 27, p. 75. | FNA vol. 27, p. 90. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Name authority | Ångström: Öfvers. Kongl. Vetensk.-Akad. Förh. 21: 198. (1864) | R. E. Andrus: Sida 22: 964, figs. 14–20. (2006) |
Web links |