Sphagnum teres
Sphagnum girgensohnii
rigid peat-moss, sphagnum
common green peat-moss, Girgensohn's sphagnum
leaves generally larger than branch leaves, 1.3– 1.8 × 0.8–1 mm;
elliptic to lingulate-spatulate, widest above middle, hyaline cells nonseptate.
leaves lingulate, broadly lingulate to lingulate-spatulate; 0.8–1.3 mm, apex broad, truncate and lacerate, border broad at base (more than 0.25 of base);
hyaline cells rhomboid, efibrillose, and rarely septate.
long-cylindrical, branch leaves terete to sometimes distinctly squarrose in shade forms.
typically long and tapering, not 5-ranked.
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.
ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 1–1.4(–1.8) mm, concave, straight, apex strongly involute, margins entire;
hyaline cells on convex surface with numerous elliptic pores along the commissures, grading from small pores near the apex to large pores near the base, concave surface with large round pores along the margins and base.
dioicous.
dioicous.
21–26 µm;
proximal and distal surfaces smooth, papillae indistinct;
proximal laesura 0.5–0.6 spore radius.
21–27 µm, moderately to coarsely papillose on both surfaces;
proximal laesura less than 0.5 spore radius.
fascicles typically with 3 spreading (sometimes 2) and 2 pendent branches.;
branch stems with single layer of cortical cells.
fascicles with 2 spreading and 1–2 pendent branches.;
branch stem with solitary retort cells or in groups of 2–3, necks moderately distinct.
Sphagnum teres
Sphagnum girgensohnii
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.)
Sporophytes are uncommon in Sphagnum girgensohnii. This species is most frequently associated with S. russowii, but also found growing with S. centrale, S. fallax, S. fimbriatum, S. warnstorfii, and S. magellanicum when growing in shaded sites of mires. It is very similar to S. rubiginosum, but S. girgensohnii lacks any reddish pigments, has only 2 spreading branches per fascicle, infrequently produces sporophytes, and differs in spore morphology. Throughout much of its range, S. girgensohnii is readily recognized by its green color and its large, slender, strongly stellate capitulum. In the more northern portion of its range, it frequently forms compact stands with a golden brown color and then the stem leaf must often be examined for accurate identification. In Alaska it overlaps morphogically with S. fimbriatum subsp. concinnum, which can look very similar but will have a more spatulate stem leaf that is lacerate completely across the broad flat apex and slightly down the sides. Sphagnum girgensohnii, on the other hand, has stem leaves only lacerate for about 3/4 of the apex width and less conspicuously broadened at the apex.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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