Sphagnum warnstorfii
Sphagnum inexspectatum
Warnstorf's peat-moss, Warnstorf's sphagnum
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 triangular-lingulate to ovate-lingulate, 0.8–0.9 mm, apex rounded, straight;
hyaline cells mostly non-septate, fibrillose in distal 1/3–2/3 of leaf, a few ringed pores at corners of cells and along commissures on convex surface, ringed pores along the commissures on the concave surface in greater numbers than on convex surface.
long and tapering, usually strongly 5-ranked.
short, not turgid.
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.
broad-ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 0.9–2.1 mm, straight;
hyaline cells with numerous ringed pores (10–20) along the commissures on the convex surface, a few pseudopores and ringed pores (less than 8 per cell) occur on the cell angles on the concave surface.
dioicous.
dioicous.
exserted, with few pseudostomata.
17–26 µm, finely papillose on both surfaces;
proximal laesura less than 0.5 spore radius.
36–39 µm; coarsely papillose on both surfaces;
proximal laesura less than or equal to 0.5 spore radius.
fascicles with 2 spreading and 1–2 pendent branches.
fascicles with 2–3 spreading and 1–2 pendent branches.
Sphagnum warnstorfii
Sphagnum inexspectatum
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 inexpectatum is frequently collected with S. tenellum, S. pacificum, S. andersonianum, and S. rubellum in weakly minerotrophic blanket mires. It is similar in size to S. subsecundum, with which its range completely overlaps. The latter species has many of the branch leaves subsecund while those of S. inexspectatum are straight. The stem leaves of S. inexspectatum are also conspicuously larger than those of S. subsecundum.
Microscopically Sphagnum inexspectatum has a stem cortex that has enlarged thin-walled cells that form 1–2 layers, whereas S. subsecundum has only one. The stem leaves of S. inexspectatum also have numerous commissural pores in the hyaline cells in the distal half of the concave surface, whereas S. subsecundum has only a few if any in this region and these are more free than commissural.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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