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Sphagnum wilfii

(Wilf's Sphagnum)

Interesting Facts

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Common Names

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Common Names in English:

Wilf's Sphagnum

Description

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Family Sphagnaceae

Plants with branches in fascicles, branches usually of spreading and pendent types but rarely spreading only. Protonemata thallose . Leaves usually of two distinctly different types; branch leaves that are normally inrolled and broadest ca. 1/4-1/3 the distance from the base , more or less tapered to a cucullate to involute apex; stem leaves more or less flat and usually broadest at the base; both leaf types of a network of hyaline , dead cells and green chlorophyllose cells; pores and reinforcing fibrils frequent in branch leaf hyaline cells and uncommon in stem leaf hyaline cells. Rhizoids lacking. Sporophytes consisting of a spherical capsule with pseudostomata on capsule surface, a very short seta, and a foot , exserted on a pseudopodium of gametophyte tissue . Spores released by explosive opening of operculum.

Genus 1, species ca. 285: nearly worldwide.

The sphagnum mosses, or peat mosses, are unique not only morphologically but also ecologically. With their abundant clear cells they can retain up to 25 times their dry weight in water, and a uniquely strong acidifying power permits sphagnum to direct succession wherever conditions are suitable for them to flourish. Much of the earth's surface with a cool humid climate is dominated, thus, by sphagnum peatlands.[1]

Genus Sphagnum

Plants typically with upright stems, young branches arranged spirally around stem at growing apex into a capitulum, branches clustered into fascicles along stem, stem and branch leaves of alternating inflated , S-shaped to rhomboid hyaline cells and narrow linear chlorophyllous cells, hyaline cells typically fibrillose and porose on branch leaves. Protonema typically 1-stratose, gametophyte developing from lateral margin . Stems differentiated into a central cylinder of thin-walled parenchymatous cells, merging into a cylinder of thick-walled cortical cells surrounded by 0-4 layers of thin-walled inflated cells, superficial layer of cells usually aporose, but may be porose. Stem leaves may be less fibrillose or efibrillose and less porose or aporose than the branch leaves, often septate , a distinct border of narrow linear chlorophyllous cells often along margins and at base , and with a greater width :length ratio than branch leaves in anisophyllous forms, partly differentiated in hemiisophyllous forms, and identical in isophyllous forms. Branches typically dimorphic as spreading and pendent branches, but some species lack branches or branches are not clearly differentiated, pendent branches typically more slender than spreading branches and with a tendency to adhere to and cover the stem. Branch fascicles typically with 2 spreading and 1-2 pendent branches, but there may be up to 12(-14) per fascicle. Branch stems typically green, with a superficial layer of inflated retort cells; these grouped or solitary, usually porose at the distal end with a conspicuous or inconspicuous neck. Branch leaves with 2/5 phyllotaxy, of a 1-stratose network of alternating chlorophyllous and hyaline cells; hyaline cells usually S-shaped, rarely rhomboid, nearly always strengthened with conspicuous spiral fibrils , small to large, round to elliptic and sometimes ringed pores occur along commissures or rarely on cell lumen, convex surface typically with more pores per cell than concave surface; chlorophyllous cells may be enclosed on both surfaces, more broadly exposed on one surface or equally exposed on both surfaces as viewed in transverse section , adjacent cell walls typically smooth , but various types of cell wall projections may be clearly visible in transverse section. Sexual condition dioicous or monoicous; stalked globose antheridia borne at the tips of branches usually with swollen colored tips of branches near capitulum; long-necked archegonia borne on short branches singly surrounded by perichaetial leaves that are typically longer than branch leaves. Capsule spherical , brown to black, lacking an annulus or peristome with a operculum convex; spore sac amphithecial in origin , over-arching columella. Calyptra membranous. Spores tetrahedral , with prominent trilete mark , fine to coarse superficial surface, distal surface may have raised Y-mark, bifurcated Y-mark sculpture, or none.

Species 285: worldwide except Antarctica, primarily in boreal regions but also in cool, moist montane and oceanic habitats such as nutrient-poor and acidic wetlands and mires .

The concept of species in Sphagnum is controversial. We have followed P. Isoviita (1966) and K . I. Flatberg (1994) in the recognition of species. H. A. Crum (1984) and others (R. E. Daniels and A. Eddy 1985; A. L. Andrews 1958, 1959) have adopted more conservative taxonomic concepts for species in the Northern Hemisphere. Description of the spores above is from Cao T. and D. H. Vitt (1986) ; for additional discussion of the protonema see C. B . McQueen (1988).

Microscopic features can be observed by using a concentrated aqueous or alcohol solution of Crystal Violet. A 50% solution of alcohol and Methylene Blue or Safranin Red can be used, but these usually do not stain features such as minute pores, fibrils, wall thinnings , and surface sculpture on the chlorophyllous cells. The number and kinds of branches should be determined, individual stem and branch leaves (from the middle of a spreading branch) should be examined from the distal 2 cm of the plant, and the superficial surface of stem cortical cells as well as cross sections of branch leaves and stems may need examination.[2]

Physical Description

Species Sphagnum wilfii

Plants densely tufted , capitulum ± flat-topped; typically red; forms small tufts and hummocks in shaded and open sites. Stems red; superficial cortical cells aporose. Stem leaves 1.2 mm or more, broadly triangular to triangular-lingulate, 1.2 or more, apex acute, border broad at base (more than 0.25 width ) ; hyaline cells mostly efibrillose, 1-2-septate. Branches uncrowded, 5-ranked. Branch fascicles with 2 spreading and 1 pendent branch. Branch leaves ovate-lanceolate, 0.7 mm or more, straight, concave , loosely involute from apex to middle or near base; concave surface with few (2-4) small, rounded , or elliptic pores , especially in cell angles, concave surface aporose or with 1-2 pores at cell ends. Sexual condition unknown. Spores unknown. [source]

The type locality of Sphagnum wilfii in the Queen Charlotte Islands of British Columbia is a site on a pygmy pine slope near the coast. This species has been collected only infrequently but is fairly common in southeastern Alaska. The combination of red pigment, the rather large and triangular to triangular-lingulate stem leaves and the quinquefarious , loosely spreading branch leaves should identify it where it occurs. See also discussion under 68. S. bartlettianum. [source]

Habit: Nonvascular

Habitat

Blanket mires , especially with Pinus contorta; low to moderate elevations [3].

Typically found at an altitude of 0 to 296 meters (0 to 971 feet).[4]

Taxonomy

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Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name .

Last scrutiny: 19-Jul-2004

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Sphagnum

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 79 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus:

S. affine (Sphagnum) · S. andersonianum (Anderson's Sphagnum) · S. angermanicum (Angerman's Sphagnum) · S. angustifolium (Sphagnum) · S. annulatum (Sphagnum) · S. aongstroemii (Aongstroem's Sphagnum) · S. arcticum (Arctic Sphagnum) · S. austinii (Austin's Sphagnum) · S. balticum (Baltic Sphagnum) · S. bartlettianum (Bartlett's Sphagnum) · S. capillifolium (Sphagnum) · S. carolinianum (Carolina Sphagnum) · S. centrale (Sphagnum) · S. compactum (Low Sphagnum) · S. contortum (Contorted Sphagnum) · S. cuspidatum (Toothed Sphagnum) · S. cyclophyllum (Sphagnum) · S. denticulatum (Sphagnum) · S. fallax (Sphagnum) · S. fimbriatum (Sphagnum) · S. fimbriatumf (Sphagnum) · S. fitzgeraldii (Fitzgerald's Sphagnum) · S. flavicomans (Sphagnum) · S. flexuosum (Sphagnum) · S. flexuosum Dozy & Molk. var. flexuosum Dozy & Molk. (Sphagnum) · S. flexuosum Dozy & Molk. var. ramosissimum Andrus (Sphagnum) · S. fuscum (Sphagnum) · S. girgensohnii (Girgensohn's Sphagnum) · S. grandifolium (Harlequin Sandperch) · S. henryense (Henry's Sphagnum) · S. inundatum (Water Sphagnum) · S. jensenii (Jensen's Sphagnum) · S. junghuhnianum (Junghuhn's Sphagnum) · S. junghuhnianum pseudomolle var. pseudomolle (Junghuhn's Sphagnum) · S. lenense (Sphagnum) · S. lescurii (Lescur's Sphagnum) · S. lindbergii (Lindberg's Sphagnum) · S. macrophyllum (Largeleaf Sphagnum) · S. magellanicum (Magellan's Sphagnum) · S. majus (Sphagnum) · S. majus norvegica (Sphagnum) · S. mendocinum (Mendocino Sphagnum) · S. mississippiense (Mississippi Sphagnum) · S. molle (Sphagnum) · S. nitidum (Sphagnum) · S. obtusum (Sphagnum) · S. orientale (Oriental Sphagnum) · S. pacificum (Pacific Sphagnum) · S. palustre (Prairie Sphagnum) · S. papillosum (Papillose Sphagnum) · S. perichaetiale (Sphagnum) · S. platyphyllum (Sphagnum) · S. portoricense (Puerto Rico Sphagnum) · S. pulchrum (Sphagnum) · S. pylaesii (Pylaes' Sphagnum) · S. quinquefarium (Sphagnum) · S. recurvum (Recurved Sphagnum) · S. riparium (Streamside Sphagnum) · S. rubellum (Sphagnum) · S. rubroflexuosum (Sphagnum) · S. russowii (Russow's Sphagnum) · S. schofieldii (Schofield's Sphagnum) · S. splendens (Sphagnum) · S. squarrosum (Sphagnum) · S. steerei (Steere's Sphagnum) · S. strictum (Sphagnum) · S. subnitens (Sphagnum) · S. subobesum (Sphagnum) · S. subsecundum (Sphagnum) · S. subtile (Sphagnum) · S. tenellum (Sphagnum) · S. tenerum (Sphagnum) · S. teres (Sphagnum) · S. torreyanum (Torrey's Sphagnum) · S. trinitense (Trinity Sphagnum) · S. viridum (Sphagnum) · S. warnstorfii (Warnstorf's Sphagnum) · S. wilfii (Wilf's Sphagnum) · S. wulfianum (Wulf's Sphagnum)

More Info

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Further Reading

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Notes

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Contributors

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal February 27, 2008:

Identifiers

Footnotes

  1. Cyrus B. McQueen, Richard E. Andrus "Sphagnaceae". in Flora of North America Vol. 27 Page 45, 102, 108,
    624. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
  2. "Sphagnum". in Flora of North America Vol. 27 Page 3, 4, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 32, 33,. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
  3. "Sphagnum wilfii". in Flora of North America Vol. 27 Page 88, 90, 101. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
  4. Mean = 194.670 meters (638.681 feet), Standard Deviation = 203.600 based on 6 observations. Altitude information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre. [back]
Last Revised: 7/15/2012