BFNA | Family List | Sphagnaceae | Sphagnum

Taxon in Process: Sphagnum Species C

Sphagnum majus ssp. norvegicum K. I. Flatberg, K. Norske Vidensk. Selsk. Skr. 2: 1. 1987

Plants moderate-sized to robust, fairly weak-stemmed; green, yellow-green, brownish green to golden-brown; capitulum indistinctly to distinctly 5-radiate, branches straight to slightly curved; lax in submerged forms to moderately stiff in emergent forms. Stems pale green to brown, sometimes red at branch bases; superficial cortex of 2 layers of moderately thin-walled, differentiated cells. Stem leaves triangular-lingulate, 1--1.4 mm; often spreading; apex narrowly obtuse; hyaline cells mostly nonseptate and often fibrillose near apex. Branches unranked, straight to slightly curved, leaves moderately elongated at distal end. Branch fascicles with 2 spreading and 1--2 pendent branches. Branch stems green, with cortex enlarged with conspicuous retort cells. Branch leaves ovate-lanceolate, 1.8--3.4 mm; straight to slightly subsecund; slightly undulate and recurved when dry; margins entire; hyaline cells on convex surface with mostly 1 pore per fibril interval, pores more than 1/3 cell diameter, concave surface aporose or rarely with a few wall thinnings in cells angles and ends; chlorophyllous cells trapezoidal in transverse section and narrowly exposed on concave surface. Sexual condition dioicous. Spores 33--40 µm; distal surface finely and densely granulate.

Habitat unclear due to recent taxonomic separation from S. majus (K. I. Flatberg 1987); in North America, S. norvegicum seems to occur in weakly minerotrophic habitats such as poor sedge fens, lake edges, and floating mats; Alta., B.C., Nfld., N.W.T., N.S., Ont., Que., Sask., Yukon; Alaska, Conn., Maine, Mass., Mich., Minn., N.H., N.J., N.Y., Pa., Wis.; Eurasia?

Sporophytes uncommon. See discussion of S. majus and S. annulatum. Spore features from K. I. Flatberg (1987).