Sphagnum capillifolium

(Ehrhart) Hedwig

Fund. Hist. Nat. Musc. Frond. 2: 86. 1782,.

Basionym: Sphagnum palustre var. capillifolium Ehrhart Hannover Mag. 18: 235. 1780
Synonyms: Sphagnum capillaceum H. A. Crum Sphagnum capillifolium var. viride Jennings Sphagnum margaritae
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 27. Treatment on page 91. Mentioned on page 30, 88, 89, 92, 96, 97, 99, 100, 101.

Plants small to moderate-sized, compact to fairly slender, normally stiff and erect; capitulum typically hemispherical; in exposed sites red, mottled red and green, in shaded sites green forms common; without metallic lustre when dry. Stems green to red; superficial cortical cells aporose Stem-leaves lingulate-triangular, 1.2–1.6 (–1.8) mm, apex ± involute; border entire and broadened to about 0.25 the width of the base; hyaline cells S-shaped, 0–1-septate, usually fibrillose in distal portion of leaf. Branches not 5-ranked, terete. Branch fascicles with 2 spreading and 1–2 pendent branches. Branch leaves ovatelanceolate, 1–1.4 mm, imbricate to moderately spreading, concave, straight, strongly involute near apex; hyaline cells on convex surface with elliptic pores along commissures, concave surface with large round pores away from commissures in proximal portions of leaf. Sexual condition dioicous. Spores 20–28 µm; finely papillose on both surfaces, with distinct raised Y-shaped sculpture on distal surface; proximal laesura 0.5 spore radius or more.


Phenology: Capsules mature mid summer.
Habitat: Ombrotrophic, broad range of acidic environments, also forming dense mats and carpets over wet, acidic rocks and peat, especially at higher elevations, less frequent in forested fen vegetation
Elevation: low to high elevations

Distribution

Greenland, Alta., B.C., Man., N.B., Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.), N.W.T., N.S., Nunavut, Ont., P.E.I., Que., Sask., Yukon, Alaska, Calif., Conn., Idaho, Ill., Ind., Ky., Maine, Mass., Mich., Minn., Mont., Ohio, Oreg., Pa., R.I., S.Dak., Tenn., Vt., Va., Wash., W.Va., Wyo., Europe

Discussion

Sporophytes are fairly common in Sphagnum capillifolium. This species is most common and abundant in ombrotrophic heath vegetation associated with S. angustifolium, S. fallax, S. fuscum, S. magellanicum, S. rubellum, Polytrichum commune, and P. juniperinum. It can be distinguished from most other red species of sect. Acutifolia with which it co-occurs by its lack of 5-ranking in the branches. Sphagnum subtile is a forest and non-hummock forming species that has a distinctly shorter and more triangular-lingulate stem leaf. The stem leaf border on S. subtile is also more strongly bordered. Sphagnum tenerum, which geographically overlaps S. capillifolium only very minimally, has much more turgid branches and a generally more robust look. The stem leaf of S. tenerum is triangular-lingulate as compared to the lingulate- triangular stem leaf of S. capillifolium. See also discussion under 84. S. subnitens and 87. S. tenerum.

The names Sphagnum acutifolium Schrader and S. nemoreum Scopoli (doubtful name) have also been used for this taxon.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"usually longer and thicker" is not a number."broad" is not a number.

... more about "Sphagnum capillifolium"
cucullate;involute +
Cyrus B. McQueen† +  and Richard E. Andrus +
(Ehrhart) Hedwig +
Sphagnum palustre var. capillifolium +
fimbriate +
differentiated +
broadened +
fascicles +  and not 5-ranked +
ratio +, length +  and width +
concave +  and ovatelanceolate +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.14 cm1.4 mm <br />0.0014 m <br />) +
pendent +  and spreading +
1 +  and 2 +
more slender +
differentiated +
0-1-septate +
alternating +
strengthened +
nonornamented +
s--shaped +
larger +
fibrillose +
hemispherical +
spherical +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (?) +  and 0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (?) +
monoicous +, dioicous +  and sexual +
Greenland +, Alta. +, B.C. +, Man. +, N.B. +, Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.) +, N.W.T. +, N.S. +, Nunavut +, Ont. +, P.E.I. +, Que. +, Sask. +, Yukon +, Alaska +, Calif. +, Conn. +, Idaho +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Ky. +, Maine +, Mass. +, Mich. +, Minn. +, Mont. +, Ohio +, Oreg. +, Pa. +, R.I. +, S.Dak. +, Tenn. +, Vt. +, Va. +, Wash. +, W.Va. +, Wyo. +  and Europe +
low to high elevations +
monoicous +, dioicous +  and sexual +
conspicuous +
isophyllous +, hemiisophyllous +  and anisophyllous +
Ombrotrophic, broad range of acidic environments, also forming dense mats and carpets over wet, acidic rocks and peat, especially at higher elevations, less frequent in forested fen vegetation +
0.16 cm1.6 mm <br />0.0016 m <br /> (?) +  and 0.18 cm1.8 mm <br />0.0018 m <br /> (?) +
0.12 cm1.2 mm <br />0.0012 m <br /> (0.16 cm1.6 mm <br />0.0016 m <br />) +
lingulate-triangular +
conspicuous +
Capsules mature mid summer. +
Fund. Hist. Nat. Musc. Frond. +
tetrahedral +
septate +, porose +  and efibrillose +
triangular;lingulate-spatulate +
differentiated +
dioicous +  and sexual +
concave +  and convex +
Sphagnum capillaceum +, Sphagnum capillifolium var. viride +  and Sphagnum margaritae +
Sphagnum capillifolium +
Sphagnum sect. Acutifolia +
species +
swollen +
red +, pink +, brown +  and green +
slender +, small +  and moderate-sized +