Sphagnum subsecundum |
Sphagnum pulchrum |
|
---|---|---|
cow-horn peat-moss, sphagnum |
sphagnum |
|
Habit | Plants small, slender, often wiry; green, yellow-brown or golden brown; capitulum small with terminal bud absent. | Plants moderate-sized to robust, often quite dense and compact; green, brownish green, golden brown to dark brown; capitulum flat-topped and not especially 5-radiate. |
Stem(s) | leaves triangular-lingulate, 0.8 mm or less; apex entire or weakly denticulate, hyaline cells sometimes septate, efibrillose and aporose except near apex. |
leaves triangular to triangular-lingulate, 0.9–1.1 mm; appressed to spreading; apex apiculate, acute or narrowly obtuse, appressed to spreading; hyaline cells nonseptate and efibrillose. |
Branches | often short and blunt. |
straight to more typically curved, typically stout and blunt ended; strongly 5-ranked, leaves not much elongate at distal end. |
Branch leaves | ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 1.4–1.8 mm; straight to often subsecund; weakly undulate and slightly recurved; hyaline cells on convex surface with 1 pore per cell at apical end of cell, on concave surface with round wall thinnings in the cells ends and angles; chlorophyllous cells triangular to triangular-ovate in transverse section, very well-enclosed within concave surface. |
|
Sexual condition | dioicous. |
dioicous. |
Capsule | exserted, with few pseudostomata. |
|
Spores | 30–35 µm; finely papillose on both surfaces, distinct bifurcated Y-mark sculpture on distal surface; proximal laesurae more than 0.5 spore radius. |
25–28 µm; roughly papillous on both surfaces; proximal laesura more than 0.5 the length of the spore. |
Branch | fascicles with 2–3 spreading and 2–3 pendent branches Branch leaves broadly ovate, subsecund, hyaline cells on convex surface with very numerous small pores (18–40 per cell) in a continuous row along the commissures, concave surface usually aporose. |
fascicles with 2 spreading and 2 pendent branches.; branch stems green but often reddish at proximal end, with cortex enlarged with conspicuous retort cells. |
Sphagnum subsecundum |
Sphagnum pulchrum |
|
Habitat | Minerotrophic, near the edges of open, poor fens, less commonly found in open medium fens | Abundant in poor fens and raised bogs, forming dense carpets at water level, especially on floating mats |
Elevation | low to high elevations | low to moderate elevations |
Distribution |
AK; CA; CO; CT; ID; IL; IN; MA; ME; MI; MN; MT; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OR; PA; RI; VT; WA; WI; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NF; NS; NT; ON; QC; YT; Greenland; Eurasia
|
AK; CT; IN; MA; ME; MI; MN; NH; NJ; NY; WI; WV; MB; NB; NF; NS; ON; QC; Europe |
Discussion | Sporophytes are rare in Sphagnum subsecundum. This species is often associated with S. angustifolium, S. centrale, S. fimbriatum, S. flexuosum, S. palustre, and S. teres. The most widespread and common species of sect. Subsecunda, it exhibits considerable phenotypic plasticity in size. However, the stem leaves are always quite small in comparison to those of similar species. See also discussions under 52. S. contortum and 55. S. inexspectatum. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Sporophytes are uncommon in Sphagnum pulchrum. With its distinctive broad and strongly 5-ranked branch leaves, It is one of our most easily recognized species. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 27, p. 84. | FNA vol. 27, p. 74. |
Parent taxa | Sphagnaceae > Sphagnum > sect. Subsecunda | Sphagnaceae > Sphagnum > sect. Cuspidata |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | S. crispum | S. intermedium var. pulchrum |
Name authority | Nees: in J. Sturm et al., Deutschl. Fl. 2(17): species 3. (1819) | (Lindberg) Warnstorf: Bot. Centralbl. 82: 42. (1900) |
Web links |