Sphagnum rubiginosum |
Sphagnum recurvum |
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recurved sphagnum |
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Habit | Plants slender to moderately robust, capitulum flat-topped to somewhate convex, terminal bud rather conspicuous, slightly to distinctly stellate; green to variegated green and brown-red to red-brown, lacking metallic sheen when dry. | Plants moderate-sized to robust, moderately stiff-stemmed, ± lax, but not compact; green to pale yellow to yellowish brown; capitulum typically strongly convex in open grown forms, but flat and ± 5-radiate in shade forms. |
Stem(s) | leaves broadly lingulate-spathulate to spatulate, widest at base and/or distal third, usually narrower in the mid region, 1–1.3 mm, apex narrowly to broadly truncate and ± fimbriate-lacerate, border narrow distally and expanded proximally to 0.25 width or more; hyaline cells efibrillose, irregularly rhombic to subquadrate, many cells 2–4-septate. |
pale green to yellowish; superficial cortex of 2 layers of enlarged, thin-walled and well differentiated cells.; stem leaves triangular, triangular-lingulate to lingulate, more than 0.8 mm, appressed, apex obtuse to broadly obtuse, erose to fimbriate; hyaline cells efibrillose and nonseptate. |
Branches | unranked. |
straight and often tapering, often 5-ranked, leaves not much elongate at distal end of branches. |
Branch leaves | ovate-lanceolate, 1.1–1.4 mm, slightly concave, straight, apex involute; hyaline cells on convex surface grading from aporose to few small round pores near apex to numerous semi-elliptic pores along commissures in middle and base of leaf, concave surface with a few large irregular to circular pores (1–4) occupying most of the cell width. |
ovate-lanceolate, 1.4–2 mm, straight; slightly undulate and sharply recurved; margins entire; hyaline cells on convex surface with 1 pore per cell at cell apex, concave surface with round wall thinnings in the cell ends and angles; chlorophyllous cells triangular in transverse section and well-enclosed on concave surface. |
Sexual condition | autoicous. |
dioicous. |
Spores | 20–27 µm, moderately granulate-papillose on both surfaces, distinct raise Y-mark sculpture on distal surface; proximal laesura less than or equal to 0.5 spore radius. |
22–28 µm; papillose on both surfaces; proximal laesura more than 0.5 spore radius. |
Branch | fascicles with 3(4–5) spreading branches and 1–2 pendent branches. |
fascicles with 2 spreading and 2 pendent branches.; branch stems green, cortex enlarged with conspicuous retort cells. |
Sphagnum rubiginosum |
Sphagnum recurvum |
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Phenology | Capsules mature mid to late summer. | Capsules mature late summer to early fall. |
Habitat | Shaded areas in humid, spruce forests | Forming carpets in a variety of very poor to poor fen habitats, including sedge fens, pocosins, bay swamps |
Elevation | low to moderate elevations | low to moderate elevations |
Distribution |
AK; WA; BC; NF; Europe |
AL; AR; CT; DE; FL; GA; IL; IN; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MO; MS; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; SC; TN; TX; VA; VT; WV; NF; NS; South America
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Discussion | The sporophytes of Sphagnum rubiginosum are common. The geographic distribution is unclear because of the species’ recent description and possible confusion with S. girgensohnii. It is clearly distinct from S. girgensohnii in coloration, number of spreading branch fascicles, the common occurrence of sporophytes (rarely found with S. girgensohnii, and spore morophology. The conspicuous three spreading branches will separate this from all species of sect. Acutifolia except S. quinquefarium. The latter has 5-ranked branch leaves, while those of S. rubiginosum are unranked. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Sporophytes in Sphagnum recurvum are uncommon. This species is found exclusively in the New World. It has several strong characters that distinguish it from S. flexuosum, and the opinion of H. A. Crum (1997) that the two species are synonymous is rejected. See discussion under 30. S. flexuosum. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 27, p. 96. | FNA vol. 27, p. 75. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | S. pentastichon, S. pulchricoma, S. riparioides | |
Name authority | Flatberg: Lindbergia 18: 61. (1993) | P. Beauvois: Prodr. Aethéogam., 88. (1805) |
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