Sphagnum [unranked] Rigida Lindberg, Öfvers. Kongl. Vetensk.-Akad. Förh. 19: 135. 1862

Plants low-growing in loose mats to compact cushions, capitulum often indistinct or concealed by upwardly directed branches; pale green, straw-colored, brownish to reddish. Stems with superficial cortex of 1-3 layers of efibrillose, inflated, thin-walled, non-ornamented, and aporose cells. Stem leaves much smaller than branch leaves, triangular-lingulate, border entire and broadened at base; hyaline cells rhomboid, efibrillose, nonornamented, aporose, and usually nonseptate; hyaline cells not resorbed on either surface. Branches strongly dimorphic, spreading branches much stronger than pendent branches. Branch fascicles with 2-3 spreading branches and 2(-3) pendent branches. Branch stems green, green to brownish, surrounded by 1 layer of efibrillose, non-ornamented, inflated, thin-walled, uniporse cells with slight protruding necks. Branch leaves ovate to ovate-lanceolate, apex broadly truncate, smooth and toothed; margin denticulate; hyaline cells fibrillose, smooth or papillose, convex surface with ± 5 small to medium-sized free pores, sometimes numerous pseudopores, concave surface with large pores in cell angles; chlorophyllous cells elliptic to ovate-triangular in transverse section, completely enclosed or exposed on concave surface, end walls unthickened. Sexual condition monoicous or dioicous. Capsule 2 mm or less, with numerous pseudostomata. Spores mean diameter more than 30 µm, raised Y-mark sculpture on distal surface; proximal laesura more than 0.3 spore radius.

Species 5 (2 in the flora): worldwide except Antarctica.

Lower Taxa

• Sphagnum compactum Lamarck & de Candolle
• Sphagnum strictum Sullivant