Sphagnum torreyanum |
Sphagnum splendens |
|
---|---|---|
Torrey's sphagnum |
sphagnum |
|
Habit | Plants robust and weak-stemmed; green to golden yellow; capitulum ± rounded in emergent forms, flat in submersed forms; lacking distinct terminal bud. | Plants moderate-sized, pale brown and shiny, capitulum well defined. |
Stem(s) | leaves triangular, 1–1.7 mm, apex acute to slightly obtuse; leaves usually appressed; margins entire; hyaline cells fibrillose and usually septate at base and sides. |
leaves triangular, 0.7–0.9 mm, appressed to stem; apex apiculate; hyaline cells efibrillose and nonseptate. |
Branches | unranked, long and tapering, leaves greatly elongated at distal end. |
moderately tapering, leaves only moderately larger at branch tips. |
Branch leaves | ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, 3–5.5 mm; straight but sometimes slightly falcate-secund; weakly undulate and recurved when dry; margins entire; hyaline cells on convex surface with 0–1 pore per cell, on concave surface with round wall thinnings on the apices and angles; chlorophyllous cells narrowly triangular in transverse section and just enclosed on the concave surface. |
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. |
Sexual condition | dioicous. |
unknown. |
Spores | 26–29 µm; both surfaces distinctly papillose, appearing pusticulate to irregularly pusticulate; proximal laesura mostly less than 0.5 spore radius. |
unknown. |
Branch | fascicles with 2 spreading and 2 pendent branches.; branch stems green; cortex enlarged with conspicuous retort cells. |
fascicles with 2 spreading and 2 pendent branches.; branch stems green; cortex enlarged with conspicuous retort cells. |
Sphagnum torreyanum |
Sphagnum splendens |
|
Habitat | Forming wet often floating carpets in weakly minerotrophic mires | Moderate elevations |
Elevation | low to moderate elevations | |
Distribution |
AL; CT; DE; FL; GA; LA; MA; MD; ME; MS; NC; NH; NJ; NY; PA; RI; SC; VA; VT; NB; NF; NS; QC; St Pierre and Miquelon (Miquelon) |
QC; Known only from the type locality |
Discussion | Sporophytes are uncommon in Sphagnum torreyanum. See discussion under 24. S. atlanticum for taxonomic distinctions. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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.) |
Source | FNA vol. 27, p. 77. | FNA vol. 27, p. 76. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | S. cuspidatum var. torreyi, S. cuspidatum var. miquelonense, S. kearneyi, S. laxifolium var. miquelonense | |
Name authority | Sullivant: Mem. Amer. Acad. Arts, n. s. 4: 174. (1849) | Maass: Bryologist 70: 193, figs. 1–4. (1967) |
Web links |