Sphagnum rubellum |
Sphagnum wulfianum |
|
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sphagnum |
wulf's 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. | |
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. |
|
Branches | weakly to strongly 5-ranked. |
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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. |
with chlorophyllous cells often with faint papillae on interior walls. |
Sexual condition | dioicous. |
|
Spores | 18–33 µm, coarsely papillose on both surfaces; proximal laesura less than 0.4 spore radius. |
|
Branch | fascicles with 2 spreading and 1–2 pendent branches. |
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Sphagnum rubellum |
Sphagnum wulfianum |
|
Phenology | Capsules mature mid summer. | |
Habitat | Poor fens and ombrotrophic mires, forming extensive carpets and hummocks | Coniferous forests, and occasionally in Alnus or Salix karrs |
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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CT; IL; IN; MA; ME; MI; MN; NH; NY; OH; PA; RI; VT; WI; AB; BC; MB; NB; NF; NS; ON; QC; 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.) |
The sporophytes of Sphagnum wulfianum are moderately common. This is the most dry-growing species in North America, typically growing in association with Sphagnum centrale, S. girgensohnii, S. russowii, and S. squarrosum. It is easily recognized as the only species that regularly has more than six branches per fascicle. The Lycopodium clavatum-like growth habit and conifer swamp habitat along with the strongly 5-ranked branch leaves make it even easier to recognize in the field. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 27, p. 96. | FNA vol. 27, p. 85. |
Parent taxa | Sphagnaceae > Sphagnum > sect. Acutifolia | Sphagnaceae > Sphagnum > sect. Polyclada |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | S. acutifolium var. tenellum, S. capillaceum var. tenellum, S. capillifolium var. tenellum | |
Name authority | Wilson: Bryol. Brit., 19. (1855) | Girgensohn: Arch. Naturk. Liv- Ehst- Kurlands, Ser. 2, Biol. Naturk. 2: 173. (1860) |
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