Sphagnum rubellum
Sphagnum lescurii
sphagnum
Lescur's 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 to ovate-lingulate, 1.3–2 mm;
apex truncate to rounded, usually denticulate;
hyaline cells typically fibrillose for 1/2 of leaf or more, often 1–2-septate, convex surface with 4–12 or more pores per cell along the commissures, concave surface with fewer pores.
weakly to strongly 5-ranked.
usually curving, often large and tumid.
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.
broadly ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 1.3–2.5 mm, greatly elongated in aquatic forms, straight or infrequently subsecund or subsquarrose;
hyaline cells with 10–22 pores along the commissures on the convex surface, no or fewer pores per cell (1–8) on the concave surface.
dioicous.
dioicous.
exserted, with few pseudostomata.
18–33 µm, coarsely papillose on both surfaces;
proximal laesura less than 0.4 spore radius.
27–34 µm; finely papillose on both surfaces, with distinct raised Y-mark sculpture (indistinctly bifurcated Y-mark) on the distal surface;
proximal laesura less than 0.5 spore radius.
fascicles with 2 spreading and 1–2 pendent branches.
fascicles with 2(rarely 3) spreading and 1–2(–3) pendent branches.
Sphagnum rubellum
Sphagnum lescurii
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.)
Sporophytes are uncommon in Sphagnum lescurii, which may be the most phenotypically variable of all the North American Sphagnum species, and quite probably deserves some taxonomic splitting. The tremendous phenotypic plasticity of this species, however, makes it quite difficult to sort out the genotypic component of variability, and thus most sphagnologists since Warnstorf have avoided the temptation of splitting and have instead treated this as one very variable species. This is the approach maintained in this treatment. We have also chosen not to use the earlier name S. denticulatum because its type is a phenotypic morphotype not clearly assignable to the current concept of either S. auriculatum or S. lescurii (K. I. Flatberg, pers. comm.). Some of the American material assignable to S. lescurii is quite likely the same as the European species S. auriculatum, but much of our material is certainly not the same. Until more definitive data are available, we have chosen to continue to use the name S. lescurii. The large stem leaf will generally distinguish this from similar species of sect. Subsecunda. See also discussion under 55. S. inundatum and 61. S. platyphyllum.
The names Sphagnum alabamae Warnstorf, S. aquatile Warnstorf, S. obesum (Wilson) Warnstorf, S. rufescens (Nees & Hornschuch) Warnstorf, and S. turgidulum Warnstorf also have been applied to this taxon.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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