Sphagnum sitchense |
Sphagnum contortum |
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contorted sphagnum, twisted peat-moss |
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Habit | Plants moderate-sized; capitulum flat-topped and dense; pale yellow and pink, lacking sheen. | Plants moderate to small-sized, weak-stemmed to spawling; green, yellow-green to golden brown; capitulum usually large and flat with curved branches; green, yellow-green, or golden brown. |
Stem(s) | pink, superficial cortical cells aporose.; stem leaves narrowly triangular to lingulate- triangular, 1.2–1.6 × 0.6–0.8 mm, length: width ratio ca. 2:1, apex apiculate, border strong and moderately broadened basally; hyaline cells narrowly rhomboid and 1 to occasionally 2 septate, often fibrillose apically. |
leaves triangular-lingulate to lingulate, 0.7–1.4 mm; apex rounded-obtuse and weakly denticulate; hyaline cells nonseptate, mostly efibrillose, and, if porose, with more pores per cell on the concave surface (3–6) than on the convex surface (0–2). |
Branches | not 5-ranked. |
somewhat curved, leaves spreading. |
Branch leaves | 1.3–1.5 × 0.5–0.55 mm, ovate-lanceolate, concave, straight, apex involute; hyaline cells on convex surface with numerous round to elliptic pores along the commissures, grading from large elliptical pores at the base to moderate-sized round pores at the apex, concave surface with a few large round pores scattered throughout. |
ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 1.2–2 mm; subsecund; hyaline cells with numerous tiny pores in a continuous line along the commissures on the convex surface, no or scattered pores on the concave surface. |
Sexual condition | unknown. |
dioicous. |
Capsule | exserted, with scattered pseudo-stomata. |
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Spores | 22–28 µm; papillose on both surfaces; proximal laesurae more than 0.5 spore radius. |
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Branch | fascicles with 2 spreading and 1 pendent branch. |
fascicles with 2–3 spreading and 2–3(4) pendent branches. |
Sphagnum sitchense |
Sphagnum contortum |
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Habitat | Known only from type locality where it was forming low dense hummocks in alpine tundra | Very minerotrophic, sometimes found in slightly basic mires, intolerant of shade |
Elevation | moderate elevations | low to moderate elevations |
Distribution |
AK |
AK; CA; CO; CT; ID; IL; IN; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OR; PA; RI; VT; WA; WI; WV; AB; BC; NF; NS; ON; QC; Eurasia |
Discussion | Sporophytes are rare in Sphagnum contortum. This species is often associated with S. warnstorfii, S. centrale, Campylium stellatum, and Calliergonella cuspidata. The relatively small size, curved capitulum branches, and loosely spreading, subsecund branch leaves separate this species along with S. subsecundum. See also discussion under 61. S. platyphyllum. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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Source | FNA vol. 27, p. 98. | FNA vol. 27, p. 80. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Name authority | R. E. Andrus: Sida 22: 969, figs. 27–34. (2006) | Schultz: Prodr. Fl. Starg. Suppl., 64. (1819) |
Web links |