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sphagnum

Austin's peat-moss, Austin's sphagnum

Habit Plants small, soft, fairly weak-stemmed; pale green to pale yellow brown; capitulum not 5-radiate or only weakly so, may be tinged with red; loose to somewhat compact. Plants moderate-sized to large, usually quite compact; reddish brown and often yellow flecked with red-brown; in dense stands forming large and tall hummocks.
Stem(s)

leaves 0.7–1 mm (to 1.2 mm in hemiisophyllous forms) elongate-triangular to triangular-lingulate, apex obtuse-erose, to apiculate; usually fibrillose at least apically; in hemiisophyllous forms spreading and in anisophyllous forms appressed;

hyaline cells often septate at base.

leaves 1.2–1.6 × 1 mm; rarely hemiisophyllous;

hyaline cells nonseptate or more typically mostly septate, comb-lamellae present on interior wall.

Branches

moderately long and tapering, unranked to weakly 5-ranked, leaves not much elongated at distal end.

clavate, tapering to short point, tightly imbricate at proximal end to somewhat spreading at distal end in less compact forms.

Branch leaves

1–1.7 mm, ovate-lanceolate, undulate and recurved when dry;

hyaline cells on convex surface with 3–10 round pores per cell in the cell angles and free, on concave surface with round wall thinnings in the ends and angles.

ovate-elliptical to elliptical, 1.5–2.1 × 0.8–1.4 mm;

hyaline cells on convex surface with numerous moderate-sized round pores along the commissures, comb-lamellae present throughout most of leaf; chlorophyllous cells broadly triangular in transverse section and well-enclosed on the convex surface, end wall not thickened.

Sexual condition

unknown.

dioicous.

Capsule

with scattered pseudostomata.

Spores

not seen.

23–28 µm; coarsely granulate on both surfaces;

proximal laesura more than 0.50 spore radius.

Branch

fascicles with 2 spreading and 2–3 pendent branches.;

branch stem cortex enlarged and with conspicuous retort cells.

fascicles with 2 spreading and 1 pendent branch.;

branch stems with cortical cell comb-lamellae visible on interior wall, conspicuous funnel-like projection on interior end walls extending to next cell less than one half its length, pores in superficial wall restricted to leaf bases.

Sphagnum rubroflexuosum

Sphagnum austinii

Phenology Capsules common, mature mid summer.
Habitat Forming carpets in weakly minerotrophic fens Ombrotrophic mires and large hummocks in blanket mires
Elevation moderate elevations low to moderate elevations
Distribution
from FNA
MD; PA
from FNA
AK; MA; ME; NJ; VT; WA; BC; NB; NF; NS; Europe
Discussion

Sporophytes are unknown in Sphagnum rubroflexuosum. Compared to the closely related S. flexuosum, this species is paler and may have a reddish stem. Otherwise, identification must be made microscopically on the basis of branch leaf porosity. Although we have not seen this species in the field, it should be separable from S. majus, the only other large, aquatic species of sect. Cuspidata, in its range by traits of stem leaves and its color. Sphagnum majus is also typically a much darker brown.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Sphagnum austinii is usually easily recognized in the field by its strongly imbricate and clavate branches. It forms very dense and often tall hummocks with a distinct deep golden brown color. In contrast to the view stated by H. A. Crum (1997), this species has an ecology and distribution quite distinct from those of S. affine. Sphagnum affine is a minerotrophic species that does not even occur in the Pacific coast region, where S. austinii is quite prominent.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 27, p. 76. FNA vol. 27, p. 50.
Parent taxa Sphagnaceae > Sphagnum > sect. Cuspidata Sphagnaceae > Sphagnum > sect. Sphagnum
Sibling taxa
S. affine, S. alaskense, S. andersonianum, S. angermanicum, S. angustifolium, S. annulatum, S. aongstroemii, S. arcticum, S. atlanticum, S. austinii, S. balticum, S. bartlettianum, S. beothuk, S. bergianum, S. brevifolium, S. capillifolium, S. carolinianum, S. centrale, S. compactum, S. contortum, S. cribrosum, S. cuspidatum, S. cyclophyllum, S. fallax, S. fimbriatum, S. fitzgeraldii, S. flavicomans, S. flexuosum, S. fuscum, S. girgensohnii, S. henryense, S. imbricatum, S. inexspectatum, S. inundatum, S. isoviitae, S. jensenii, S. junghuhnianum, S. kenaiense, S. lenense, S. lescurii, S. lindbergii, S. macrophyllum, S. magellanicum, S. majus, S. mcqueenii, S. mendocinum, S. microcarpum, S. mirum, S. mississippiense, S. molle, S. obtusum, S. oregonense, S. orientale, S. pacificum, S. palustre, S. papillosum, S. perfoliatum, S. perichaetiale, S. platyphyllum, S. portoricense, S. pulchrum, S. pylaesii, S. quinquefarium, S. recurvum, S. riparium, S. rubellum, S. rubiginosum, S. russowii, S. sitchense, S. splendens, S. squarrosum, S. steerei, S. strictum, S. subfulvum, S. subnitens, S. subsecundum, S. subtile, S. talbotianum, S. tenellum, S. tenerum, S. teres, S. torreyanum, S. trinitense, S. tundrae, S. viride, S. warnstorfii, S. wilfii, S. wulfianum
S. affine, S. alaskense, S. andersonianum, S. angermanicum, S. angustifolium, S. annulatum, S. aongstroemii, S. arcticum, S. atlanticum, S. balticum, S. bartlettianum, S. beothuk, S. bergianum, S. brevifolium, S. capillifolium, S. carolinianum, S. centrale, S. compactum, S. contortum, S. cribrosum, S. cuspidatum, S. cyclophyllum, S. fallax, S. fimbriatum, S. fitzgeraldii, S. flavicomans, S. flexuosum, S. fuscum, S. girgensohnii, S. henryense, S. imbricatum, S. inexspectatum, S. inundatum, S. isoviitae, S. jensenii, S. junghuhnianum, S. kenaiense, S. lenense, S. lescurii, S. lindbergii, S. macrophyllum, S. magellanicum, S. majus, S. mcqueenii, S. mendocinum, S. microcarpum, S. mirum, S. mississippiense, S. molle, S. obtusum, S. oregonense, S. orientale, S. pacificum, S. palustre, S. papillosum, S. perfoliatum, S. perichaetiale, S. platyphyllum, S. portoricense, S. pulchrum, S. pylaesii, S. quinquefarium, S. recurvum, S. riparium, S. rubellum, S. rubiginosum, S. rubroflexuosum, S. russowii, S. sitchense, S. splendens, S. squarrosum, S. steerei, S. strictum, S. subfulvum, S. subnitens, S. subsecundum, S. subtile, S. talbotianum, S. tenellum, S. tenerum, S. teres, S. torreyanum, S. trinitense, S. tundrae, S. viride, S. warnstorfii, S. wilfii, S. wulfianum
Synonyms S. cymbifolium subsp. austinii, S. cymbifolium var. austinii, S. imbricatum subsp. austinii
Name authority R. E. Andrus: Bryologist 91: 364, figs. 1–8. (1988) Sullivant: in C. F. Austin, Musci Appalach., 2. 1870 (as austini),
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