Sphagnum rubellum |
Sphagnum riparium |
|
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sphagnum |
cleft peat-moss, streamside sphagnum |
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Habit | Plants small to moderate-sized, slender, fairly stiff but soft, capitulum flat-topped and stellate; deep maroon-red to variegated red and yellowish green, lacking metallic sheen when dry. | Plants stiff and upright, large; green to pale green to brownish, capitulum large and flat, with a conspicuous terminal bud. |
Stem(s) | 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 triangular-lingulate, 1.2–1.4 mm; apex with a deep lacerate split; hyaline cells aporose, efibrillose and often septate. |
Branches | weakly to strongly 5-ranked. |
unranked to rarely 5-ranked, branch leaves only weakly undulate, but sharply recurved at the apex, leaves not much elongated at distal end. |
Branch leaves | 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; 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. |
Sexual condition | dioicous. |
dioicous. |
Spores | 18–33 µm, coarsely papillose on both surfaces; proximal laesura less than 0.4 spore radius. |
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. |
Branch | fascicles with 2 spreading and 1–2 pendent branches. |
fascicles with 2 spreading and 2 pendent branches.; branch stem green, cortex enlarged with retort cells. |
Sphagnum rubellum |
Sphagnum riparium |
|
Phenology | Capsules mature mid summer. | |
Habitat | Poor fens and ombrotrophic mires, forming extensive carpets and hummocks | Forming often extensive carpets in weakly minerotrophic mires |
Elevation | low to high elevations | low to moderate elevations |
Distribution |
AK; CT; IL; IN; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OR; PA; RI; VT; WA; WI; BC; NB; NF; NS; NT; ON; PE; QC; YT; Greenland; Eurasia
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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 |
Discussion | 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 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.) |
Source | FNA vol. 27, p. 96. | FNA vol. 27, p. 75. |
Parent taxa | Sphagnaceae > Sphagnum > sect. Acutifolia | Sphagnaceae > Sphagnum > sect. Cuspidata |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | S. acutifolium var. tenellum, S. capillaceum var. tenellum, S. capillifolium var. tenellum | |
Name authority | Wilson: Bryol. Brit., 19. (1855) | Ångström: Öfvers. Kongl. Vetensk.-Akad. Förh. 21: 198. (1864) |
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