Sphagnum rubellum
Sphagnum fuscum
sphagnum
common brown peat-moss, rusty bogmoss, rusty peat moss, sphagnum
leaves lingulate-triangular to lingulate, 1–1.4 mm, apex broadly rounded but becoming acute in hemiisophyllous forms, border strongly developed at base (more than 0.25 width);
hyaline cells rhombic and 0–3-septate with some cells in leaf midregion 2–septate.
leaves lingulate, 0.8–1.3 mm;
apex broadly rounded and entire to lacerate, sometimes slightly mucronate or slightly denticulate;
hyaline cells rhombic, 0–1(–2)-septate, usually efibrillose.
weakly to strongly 5-ranked.
long and slender to short and compact, unranked to 5-ranked.
ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 0.9–1.2 mm, concave, subsecund on some branches, apex involute;
hyaline cells on convex surface with numerous round to elliptic pores along the commissures, grading from small round pores near apex to round pores near base, on concave surface with large round pores in proximal portions of leaf.
ovate-lanceolate, 1.1–1.3 mm, straight, concave, apex strongly involute;
margins entire, hyaline cells on convex surface with round to elliptic pores along the commissures, grading from small pores near the leaf apex to large pores near the base, concave surface with large round pores in proximal marginal regions of leaf.
dioicous.
dioicous.
18–33 µm, coarsely papillose on both surfaces;
proximal laesura less than 0.4 spore radius.
17–30 µm, finely papillose on proximal surface and pusticulate on distal surface;
proximal laesura less than 0.5 spore radius.
fascicles with 2 spreading and 1–2 pendent branches.
fascicles with 2 spreading and 1–2 pendent branches.
Sphagnum rubellum
Sphagnum fuscum
Sporophytes are uncommon in Sphagnum rubellum. This common species is associated with S. angustifolium, S. capillifolium, S. fallax, S. fuscum, S. magellanicum, S. papillosum, S. recurvum, and S. tenellum. Inland, it has a greater tendency to form extensive carpets and floating mats than hummocks. See also discussion under 65. S. andersonianum, 68. S. bartlettianum, and 86. S. talbotianum.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Sphagnum fuscum is common in ombrotrophic mires and alpine mountain summits where it may form small to large hummocks to 1 m in height, more infrequently in weakly minerotrophic mires and richer fens.
Sporophytes are common in Sphagnum fuscum, which is associated with S. angustifolium, S. fallax, S. magellanicum, S. papillosum, and more infrequently with S. teres, and S. warnstorfii in richer sites. Very widespread but generally easily recognized, it is the only small brown hummock-forming species of sect. Acutifolia over most of its range. There are some significant variations in this species. The stem leaves can vary from having a rounded, entire apex to having a somewhat flat and lacerate apex. The branches also vary from being unranked and slender to 5-ranked and blunt. The color also can vary from a light to a dark brown. There does not seem, however, to be any consistent pattern to these variations and thus no taxonomic recognition has been given to them. See also discussion under 73. S. flavicomans.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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