Sphagnum warnstorfii |
Sphagnum austinii |
|
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Warnstorf's peat-moss, Warnstorf's sphagnum |
Austin's peat-moss, Austin's sphagnum |
|
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 moderate-sized to large, usually quite compact; reddish brown and often yellow flecked with red-brown; in dense stands forming large and tall hummocks. |
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 1.2–1.6 × 1 mm; rarely hemiisophyllous; hyaline cells nonseptate or more typically mostly septate, comb-lamellae present on interior wall. |
Branches | long and tapering, usually strongly 5-ranked. |
clavate, tapering to short point, tightly imbricate at proximal end to somewhat spreading at distal end in less compact forms. |
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. |
ovate-elliptical to elliptical, 1.5–2.1 × 0.8–1.4 mm; hyaline cells on convex surface with numerous moderate-sized round pores along the commissures, comb-lamellae present throughout most of leaf; chlorophyllous cells broadly triangular in transverse section and well-enclosed on the convex surface, end wall not thickened. |
Sexual condition | dioicous. |
dioicous. |
Capsule | with scattered pseudostomata. |
|
Spores | 17–26 µm, finely papillose on both surfaces; proximal laesura less than 0.5 spore radius. |
23–28 µm; coarsely granulate on both surfaces; proximal laesura more than 0.50 spore radius. |
Branch | fascicles with 2 spreading and 1–2 pendent branches. |
fascicles with 2 spreading and 1 pendent branch.; branch stems with cortical cell comb-lamellae visible on interior wall, conspicuous funnel-like projection on interior end walls extending to next cell less than one half its length, pores in superficial wall restricted to leaf bases. |
Sphagnum warnstorfii |
Sphagnum austinii |
|
Phenology | Capsules mature late summer to early autumn. | Capsules common, mature mid summer. |
Habitat | Minerotropic, hygrophytic, frequent in medium to rich fens | Ombrotrophic mires and large hummocks in blanket mires |
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; MA; ME; NJ; VT; WA; BC; NB; NF; NS; Europe |
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.) |
Sphagnum austinii is usually easily recognized in the field by its strongly imbricate and clavate branches. It forms very dense and often tall hummocks with a distinct deep golden brown color. In contrast to the view stated by H. A. Crum (1997), this species has an ecology and distribution quite distinct from those of S. affine. Sphagnum affine is a minerotrophic species that does not even occur in the Pacific coast region, where S. austinii is quite prominent. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 27, p. 101. | FNA vol. 27, p. 50. |
Parent taxa | Sphagnaceae > Sphagnum > sect. Acutifolia | Sphagnaceae > Sphagnum > sect. Sphagnum |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | S. warnstorfianum | S. cymbifolium subsp. austinii, S. cymbifolium var. austinii, S. imbricatum subsp. austinii |
Name authority | Russow: Sitzungs.-Ber. Naturf.-Ges. Univ. Dorpat 8: 315. (1888) | Sullivant: in C. F. Austin, Musci Appalach., 2. 1870 (as austini), |
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