Sphagnum warnstorfii |
Sphagnum arcticum |
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Warnstorf's peat-moss, Warnstorf's sphagnum |
arctic sphagnum |
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Habit | Plants small or less frequently moderate-sized, slender, capitulum flat-topped and stellate; green or dark purplish red and green, rarely green throughout, often with a distinctive bluish cast when dry. | Plants moderately robust, capitulum distinct and flat-topped; golden brown, brown or dark-brown, less commonly variegated green and brown, without metallic luster when dry. |
Stem(s) | leaves triangular-lingulate to lingulate, 1.1–1.4 mm, apex broad-rounded to narrowly truncate, border very broad at base (more than 0.3 width); hyaline cells efibrillose, rhombic, mostly 1-septate but can be non-septate. |
leaves narrowly to broadly lingulate or sometimes lingulate-spatulate, (1.1–)1.2–1.4(–1.6) mm; apex broadly obtuse to obtuse-truncate and more or less fimbriate-lacerately resorbed, border in distal half narrow and often indistinct, in proximal half widened and filling up 1/3–1/2(–2/3) of the breadth at the base; hyaline cells broadly S-shaped to rhombic S-shaped, predominantly nonseptate but a few cells are 1–3-septate; efibrillose. |
Branches | long and tapering, usually strongly 5-ranked. |
unranked, terete. |
Branch leaves | ovate-lanceolate, 0.9–1.4 mm, concave, straight, apex involute; hyaline cells on convex surface with very small ringed pores (less than 0.25 cell width) along commissures near apex, changing abruptly to large elliptical pores (0.4 cell width or more) basally, concave surface with large round pores in proximal margins and leaf base. |
broadly lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, (1.1–)1.4–1.8(–2.1) mm, slightly concave, straight to slightly subsecund; apex involute; border entire; hyaline cells on convex surface with (5–)8–10(–12) semicircular to elliptical, ringed pores along the commissures, concave surface aporose or infrequently with 1–2 pores per cell in the distal portion of the cell, more numerous along leaf margins. |
Sexual condition | dioicous. |
unknown. |
Spores | 17–26 µm, finely papillose on both surfaces; proximal laesura less than 0.5 spore radius. |
not seen. |
Branch | fascicles with 2 spreading and 1–2 pendent branches. |
fascicles with 2 spreading and 1 pendent branch. |
Sphagnum warnstorfii |
Sphagnum arcticum |
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Phenology | Capsules mature late summer to early autumn. | |
Habitat | Minerotropic, hygrophytic, frequent in medium to rich fens | Forming low hummocks in weakly to moderately minerotrophic fens |
Elevation | low to moderate elevations | low to moderate elevations |
Distribution |
AK; CO; CT; IA; ID; IN; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MT; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; SD; UT; VT; WA; WI; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NF; NS; NT; NU; ON; QC; SK; YT; Greenland; Eurasia
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AK; QC; YT; Eurasia |
Discussion | Sporophytes are uncommon in Sphagnum warnstorfii. This is one of the most minerotrophic species of the flora, is hygrophytic, and has a very broad niche. The most commonly associated vascular plants are Thuja occidentalis, Abies balsamea, and Picea rubens. Bryophytes typically associated with it are S. centrale, S. squarrosum, S. teres, Calliergonella cuspidata, and Campylium stellatum. This species is perhaps most similar to S. bartlettianum, with which it has small range overlap. Sphagnum warnstorfii has a shorter and less sharply pointed stem leaf and the red color with a characteristic bluish caste compared to the crimson red of S. bartlettianum. See also discussion under 81. S. russowii and 86. S. talbotianum. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Sporophytes are uncommon in Sphagnum arcticum. All collections of this fairly common species have been made north of 59° N latitude in wet or moist tundra vegetation. In its typical dark brown color, this species is often quite distinctive in the field. Sphagnum fuscum is smaller, not as dark, and its stem leaves are not as truncate-lacerate. Sphagnum subfulvum has a glossy sheen, which S. arcticum lacks, and its stem leaf has an obtuse but not lacerate apex. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 27, p. 101. | FNA vol. 27, p. 89. |
Parent taxa | Sphagnaceae > Sphagnum > sect. Acutifolia | Sphagnaceae > Sphagnum > sect. Acutifolia |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | S. warnstorfianum | |
Name authority | Russow: Sitzungs.-Ber. Naturf.-Ges. Univ. Dorpat 8: 315. (1888) | K. I. Flatberg & Frisvoll: Bryologist 87: 143, figs. 1–22. (1984) |
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