Sphagnum splendens |
Sphagnum teres |
|
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sphagnum |
rigid peat-moss, sphagnum |
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Habit | Plants moderate-sized, pale brown and shiny, capitulum well defined. | Plants fairly slender to moderate-sized, pale green to yellowish, or reddish brown in sun-grown forms; forms loose to dense carpets. |
Stem(s) | leaves triangular, 0.7–0.9 mm, appressed to stem; apex apiculate; hyaline cells efibrillose and nonseptate. |
leaves generally larger than branch leaves, 1.3– 1.8 × 0.8–1 mm; elliptic to lingulate-spatulate, widest above middle, hyaline cells nonseptate. |
Branches | moderately tapering, leaves only moderately larger at branch tips. |
long-cylindrical, branch leaves terete to sometimes distinctly squarrose in shade forms. |
Branch leaves | ovate-lanceolate, 1–1.4 mm; straight; stiff, not undulate and slightly recurved; margins entire; hyaline cells efibrillose, convex surface with 1 pore per cell at cell apex, on concave surface with round wall thinnings in the cell ends and angles; chlorophyllous cells triangular in transverse section and well enclosed to just reaching concave surface. |
1–1.4 mm, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, gradually narrowed to an involute tip, hyaline cells somewhat bulging on concave surface and nearly plane on convex surface, with 4–8 large, elliptic, unringed pores per cell on convex surface and 1–4 irregularly rounded pores per cell on concave surface, internal commissural walls smooth to rather strongly papillose, chlorophyllous cells ovate-triangular with the widest part at or close to the convex surface. |
Sexual condition | unknown. |
dioicous. |
Spores | unknown. |
21–26 µm; proximal and distal surfaces smooth, papillae indistinct; proximal laesura 0.5–0.6 spore radius. |
Branch | fascicles with 2 spreading and 2 pendent branches.; branch stems green; cortex enlarged with conspicuous retort cells. |
fascicles typically with 3 spreading (sometimes 2) and 2 pendent branches.; branch stems with single layer of cortical cells. |
Sphagnum splendens |
Sphagnum teres |
|
Phenology | Sporophytes uncommon, capsules mature late spring to early summer. | |
Habitat | Moderate elevations | Strongly minerotrophic, in open to medium rich fens, less frequent in coniferous mires, characteristic species of rich, weakly acidic to slightly basic mires |
Elevation | low to high elevations | |
Distribution |
QC; Known only from the type locality |
AK; CA; CO; CT; IA; ID; IL; IN; MA; ME; MI; MN; MT; ND; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OR; PA; VT; WA; WI; WY; AB; BC; MB; NF; NS; NT; NU; ON; QC; SK; YT; Greenland; Eurasia
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Discussion | Sporophytes of Sphagnum splendens are unknown. The lack of any fibrils in the branch leaf hyaline cells gives it an unusually glossy appearance that should make it readily identifiable in the field. The facts that it differs from S. fallax in only one character and that it is known only from the type locality make S. splendens questionably distinct to some observers. More investigation is needed. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Shade forms of Sphagnum teres are often squarrose but these are usually considerably smaller than S. squarrosum. For other distinctions between these species, see discussion under the latter. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 27, p. 76. | FNA vol. 27, p. 59. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | S. squarrosum var. teres, S. teres var. squarrosulum | |
Name authority | Maass: Bryologist 70: 193, figs. 1–4. (1967) | Ångström: in C. J. Hartman, Handb. Skand Fl. ed. 8, 417. (1861) |
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