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Warnstorf's peat-moss, Warnstorf's sphagnum

lesser cow-horn bog-moss, lesser cow-horn peat moss, water 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, green in the shade to variegated yellow or orange or both in open habitats; capitulum typically rounded.
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 lingulate to triangular-lingulate, 0.9–1.2 mm, apex rounded, usually 1/3–1/2 of leaf fibrillose;

hyaline cells usually fibrillose in distal 1/3–1/2 of leaf, on convex surface near apex with 1–3 pores per cell, on concave surface near apex 1–4 pores per cell.

Branches

long and tapering, usually strongly 5-ranked.

arched but rarely curved and contorted.

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, 1–1.5 mm, straight to slightly subsecund;

hyaline cells of convex surface with numerous ringed pores along the commissures (12–22 per cell), 0–3 pores per cell on the concave surface.

Sexual condition

dioicous.

Capsule

with few pseudostomata.

Spores

17–26 µm, finely papillose on both surfaces;

proximal laesura less than 0.5 spore radius.

30–37 µm; finely papillose on both surfaces, indistinct raised Y-shaped sculpture on distal surface;

proximal laesura 0.5 spore radius or less.

Branch

fascicles with 2 spreading and 1–2 pendent branches.

fascicles with 2–3 spreading and 2–3 pendent branches.

Sphagnum warnstorfii

Sphagnum inundatum

Phenology Capsules mature late summer to early autumn.
Habitat Minerotropic, hygrophytic, frequent in medium to rich fens Weakly minerotrophic habitats such as the margins of ponds, marshes, and mires, in addition to seeps and dripping cliff faces
Elevation low to moderate elevations low to moderate elevations
Distribution
from FNA
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
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
AK; CT; DE; KY; MA; ME; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; SC; VA; VT; WV; BC; NB; NF; NS; QC; 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.)

The sporophytes of Sphagnum inundatum are uncommon. The ovate, concave branch leaves that are occasionally subsecund give this species an appearance similar to that of S. subsecundum, from which it can usually be distinguished by its larger size. Sphagnum lescurii typically has distinctly larger stem leaves and capitulum branches that can be quite turgid and curved in open-grown forms.

The names Sphagnum bavaricum Warnstorf and S. bushii Warnstorf & Cardot have been applied to this taxon.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 27, p. 101. FNA vol. 27, p. 81.
Parent taxa Sphagnaceae > Sphagnum > sect. Acutifolia Sphagnaceae > Sphagnum > sect. Subsecunda
Sibling taxa
S. affine, S. alaskense, S. andersonianum, S. angermanicum, S. angustifolium, S. annulatum, S. aongstroemii, S. arcticum, S. atlanticum, S. austinii, S. balticum, S. bartlettianum, S. beothuk, S. bergianum, S. brevifolium, S. capillifolium, S. carolinianum, S. centrale, S. compactum, S. contortum, S. cribrosum, S. cuspidatum, S. cyclophyllum, S. fallax, S. fimbriatum, S. fitzgeraldii, S. flavicomans, S. flexuosum, S. fuscum, S. girgensohnii, S. henryense, S. imbricatum, S. inexspectatum, S. inundatum, S. isoviitae, S. jensenii, S. junghuhnianum, S. kenaiense, S. lenense, S. lescurii, S. lindbergii, S. macrophyllum, S. magellanicum, S. majus, S. mcqueenii, S. mendocinum, S. microcarpum, S. mirum, S. mississippiense, S. molle, S. obtusum, S. oregonense, S. orientale, S. pacificum, S. palustre, S. papillosum, S. perfoliatum, S. perichaetiale, S. platyphyllum, S. portoricense, S. pulchrum, S. pylaesii, S. quinquefarium, S. recurvum, S. riparium, S. rubellum, S. rubiginosum, S. rubroflexuosum, S. russowii, S. sitchense, S. splendens, S. squarrosum, S. steerei, S. strictum, S. subfulvum, S. subnitens, S. subsecundum, S. subtile, S. talbotianum, S. tenellum, S. tenerum, S. teres, S. torreyanum, S. trinitense, S. tundrae, S. viride, S. wilfii, S. wulfianum
S. affine, S. alaskense, S. andersonianum, S. angermanicum, S. angustifolium, S. annulatum, S. aongstroemii, S. arcticum, S. atlanticum, S. austinii, S. balticum, S. bartlettianum, S. beothuk, S. bergianum, S. brevifolium, S. capillifolium, S. carolinianum, S. centrale, S. compactum, S. contortum, S. cribrosum, S. cuspidatum, S. cyclophyllum, S. fallax, S. fimbriatum, S. fitzgeraldii, S. flavicomans, S. flexuosum, S. fuscum, S. girgensohnii, S. henryense, S. imbricatum, S. inexspectatum, S. isoviitae, S. jensenii, S. junghuhnianum, S. kenaiense, S. lenense, S. lescurii, S. lindbergii, S. macrophyllum, S. magellanicum, S. majus, S. mcqueenii, S. mendocinum, S. microcarpum, S. mirum, S. mississippiense, S. molle, S. obtusum, S. oregonense, S. orientale, S. pacificum, S. palustre, S. papillosum, S. perfoliatum, S. perichaetiale, S. platyphyllum, S. portoricense, S. pulchrum, S. pylaesii, S. quinquefarium, S. recurvum, S. riparium, S. rubellum, S. rubiginosum, S. rubroflexuosum, S. russowii, S. sitchense, S. splendens, S. squarrosum, S. steerei, S. strictum, S. subfulvum, S. subnitens, S. subsecundum, S. subtile, S. talbotianum, S. tenellum, S. tenerum, S. teres, S. torreyanum, S. trinitense, S. tundrae, S. viride, S. warnstorfii, S. wilfii, S. wulfianum
Synonyms S. warnstorfianum S. auriculatum var. inundatum, S. novo-foundlandicum, S. subsecundum var. inundatum
Name authority Russow: Sitzungs.-Ber. Naturf.-Ges. Univ. Dorpat 8: 315. (1888) Russow: Arch. Naturk. Liv- Ehst- Kurlands, Ser. 2, Biol. Naturk. 10: 390. (1894)
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