Sphagnum cuspidatum

Hoffman

Deutschl. Fl. 2: 22. 1796,.

Synonyms: Sphagnum cuspidatum var. plumosum Nees & Hornschuch Sphagnum faxonii Warnstorf Sphagnum virginianum
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 27. Treatment on page 66. Mentioned on page 64, 65, 67, 72, 73, 77, 78, 93.

Plants slender and weak-stemmed, moderate-sized, flaccid and plumose in aquatic forms to more compact in emergent forms, spreading branches often conspicuously falcate, giving capitulum a twisted appearance; green to yellow, often tinged with red, redbrown or brown in capitula. Stems green; superficial cortex of 2–3 layers, 2 layers of enlarged thin-walled cells. Stem-leaves triangular-ovate, more than 1.2 mm, usually appressed; apex acute to apiculate, hyaline cells rarely septate or porose, apical region often fibrillose. Branches mostly unranked to weakly 5-ranked, often conspicuously falcate, leaves greatly elongated at distal end. Branch fascicles with 2 spreading and 2–3 pendent branches. Branch stems green, but often pinkish at the proximal ends, with cortex enlarged with conspicuous retort cells. Branch leaves ovatelanceolate to lanceolate, 1.6–5 mm, falcate toward branch tips, when dry often undulate and recurved, rarely weakly serrulate along the margins in submerged forms, leaves from middle of spreading branches with length to width ratio less than or equal to 1: 0.28; hyaline cells length to width ratio in apical convex surface region 8: 1 or more, convex surface with 0–1 small round pores at apex, concave surface with faint round wall-thinnings in cell apices and angles; chlorophyllous cells triangular to trapezoidal in transverse-section, broadly exposed on the convex surface and exposed slightly on the concave surface. Sexual condition dioicous. Spores 29–38 µm; covered with large papillae on both surfaces, appearing pusticulate; proximal laesura less than 0.5 spore radius.


Habitat: Widespread forming wet carpets in ombrotrophic to weakly minerotrophic mires
Elevation: low to moderate elevations

Distribution

N.B., Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.), N.S., Ont., Que., Ala., Conn., Del., Fla., Ga., Ill., Ind., Kans., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Miss., N.H., N.J., N.Y., N.C., Ohio, Pa., R.I., S.C., Tenn., Vt., Va., W.Va., Wis., Europe

Discussion

Distinguishing Sphagnum cuspidatum from S. viride is sometimes difficult, as both occur over a similar geographic range and both grow in wet carpets. Sphagnum cuspidatum has narrower branch leaves and usually a distinct red tinge at the branch bases within the capitulum.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"elongated" is not a number.

... more about "Sphagnum cuspidatum"
acute;apiculate +
Cyrus B. McQueen† +  and Richard E. Andrus +
Hoffman +
differentiated +
broad +  and narrow +
fascicles +, mostly unranked +  and weakly 5-ranked +
coloration +, green +  and yellow +
more slender and delicate +
ratio +, length +  and width +
falcate +, ovatelanceolate +  and lanceolate +
0.16 cm1.6 mm <br />0.0016 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
spreading +  and pendent +
2 +  and 3 +
slender +
pinkish +  and green +
differentiated +
chlorophyllous +, porose +, septate +  and thin-walled +
alternating +
strengthened +
nonornamented +
dioicous +  and sexual +
triangular +  and trapezoidal +
enlarged +
fibrillose +
spherical +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (?) +  and 0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (?) +
monoicous +, dioicous +  and sexual +
enlarged +
N.B. +, Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.) +, N.S. +, Ont. +, Que. +, Ala. +, Conn. +, Del. +, Fla. +, Ga. +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Kans. +, Maine +, Md. +, Mass. +, Mich. +, Minn. +, Miss. +, N.H. +, N.J. +, N.Y. +, N.C. +, Ohio +, Pa. +, R.I. +, S.C. +, Tenn. +, Vt. +, Va. +, W.Va. +, Wis. +  and Europe +
low to moderate elevations +
monoicous +, dioicous +  and sexual +
conspicuous +
isophyllous +, hemiisophyllous +  and anisophyllous +
submerged +  and emergent +
Widespread forming wet carpets in ombrotrophic to weakly minerotrophic mires +
triangular-ovate +
equal +  and less than +
in a few cases +  and entire +
inconspicuous +  and conspicuous +
0 +  and 1 +
Deutschl. Fl. +
tetrahedral +
septate +, porose +  and efibrillose +
triangular;lingulate +
usually smaller +
differentiated +
with a few to numerous pores or pseudopores +  and porose +
concave +  and convex +
Sphagnum cuspidatum var. plumosum +, Sphagnum faxonii +  and Sphagnum virginianum +
Sphagnum cuspidatum +
Sphagnum sect. Cuspidata +
species +
swollen +
dark-colored +, yellow-green +  and light brownish +
medium-sized +  and slender +