Sphagnum

Description

Plants low, erect or procumbent, loosely tufted; green or more frequently yellowish, orangish brown-red, reddish brown or dark red; capitulum not developed. Stems brown to black; superficial cortex of 1 (-2) layers of enlarged, thin-walled cells. Stem leaves broadly ovate, 3.5-4 mm, apex rounded and indistinctly toothed; hyaline cells on convex surface with 10-20 small (2.5-7.5 -m) round pores approximately 1/6 the diameter of the hyaline cells along the commissures, cells on concave surface uniporose in distal end or aporose, sometimes one or a few pores are scattered over the surface of the cells. Branches few, single and short or more commonly none. Branch fascicles, if any, usually only 1 single branch. Branch leaves if any, are usually slightly smaller, 2-3 mm, but otherwise identical to the stem leaves. Sexual condition dioicous. Capsule immersed in perichaetial leaves, pseudopodium extremely short, without pseudostomata. Spores 25-40 -m; coarsely papillose on both surfaces; proximal laesura more than 0.5 the length of the sporeIn open grassy savannas, pine barrens, ditches, bare sand in places that are usually submerged for a portion of the year; low to moderate elevations; N.S.; Ala., Fla., Ga., La., Miss., N.J., N.C., S.C., Tenn., Tex., Va.; South America.