Sphagnum teres

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Sphagnum teres
Sphagnum teres (a, 150138-481740) 8865.JPG
Status TNC G5.svg
Secure  (NatureServe) [2]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Bryophyta
Class: Sphagnopsida
Order: Sphagnales
Family: Sphagnaceae
Genus: Sphagnum
Species:
S. teres
Binomial name
Sphagnum teres
(Schimp.) Ångstr. [3]
Synonyms [4]
  • Sphagnum squarrosum ssp. teres (Schimp.) Ångstr.
  • Sphagnum squarrosum var. teres Schimp.

Sphagnum teres, or rigid bogmoss, is a species of moss from the Sphagnaceae family. Widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere, it grows in mountainous areas in the southern part of its range. It thrives in fertile, minerotrophic peatlands. It is characterized by a clearly visible terminal bud in the middle part of the head and usually a dark brown stem. [5]

Contents

Geographical distribution

It is widespread in the Northern Hemisphere in the polar and temperate zones. In Europe, it grows commonly in the north (Scandinavian Peninsula) [5] and the east (up to the Ural Mountains). [6] Its compact distribution in Europe includes areas to the east and north of eastern France, northern Italy, Austria, Slovakia, and northern Ukraine. [7] In southern Europe, its occurrence is limited to mountainous areas (the Pyrenees, Alps, the mountains of the Balkan Peninsula, and the Caucasus). [6] [7] In Asia, it grows in the north (Siberia to Kamchatka Peninsula [6] and Japan) [4] and further south in mountainous regions (Altai Mountains, Himalayas). [4] It is also distributed in North America, [6] extending south into mountainous areas in Colorado [7] and California. [8]

Morphology

Sphagnum with a straw-yellow color, featuring a conical head topped with a bud and a brownish stem Sphagnum teres kz02.jpg
Sphagnum with a straw-yellow color, featuring a conical head topped with a bud and a brownish stem

Characteristics

The moss is of medium size, forming tufts that can range from rather loose to dense, with colors ranging from light green to yellow to reddish-brown, [5] [9] most commonly appearing yellowish-green. [4] [7] In sunny locations, it tends to be darker (brown). [4] [9]

Heads

Heads of Sphagnum teres, with the one on the left showing a distinct apical bud Sphagnum teres (a, 150138-481740) 8863.JPG
Heads of Sphagnum teres, with the one on the left showing a distinct apical bud

The heads are small [10] or medium-sized, [9] with a clearly visible [5] [9] conical apex. [7]

Stems

The stems are dark – usually brownish [10] or blackish-brown [5] – but sometimes bright green, with lighter stems occurring in shaded locations. [9] They can reach lengths of up to 20 cm [8] [10] and are relatively thick, with diameters of up to 1 mm. [9] The outer layer (hyaloderma) consists of from 2 to 3, [6] [9] sometimes 4 layers of cells. [5] [6] The outer cells of the hyaloderma may have a single, round pore. [6] The dark coloration of the stem is due to the inner cylinder, [9] which is distinctly separated from the outer layer. [6]

Bundles

The moss bundles consist of between 4 and 6 branches. Two to three of these branches are spreading and can reach lengths of up to 2 cm. The other two to three branches are drooping and have highly variable lengths [5] [9] (usually finer, lighter, and slightly longer than the spreading ones). [7] The branches are round in cross-section. [9]

Stem leaves

On the stem, the leaves are either spreading or erect, [9] never tightly adhering to the stem. [5] They are tongue-shaped or rectangular, [5] [9] reaching lengths of up to 1.5 mm and widths of up to 1 mm, [9] with broadly rounded and more or less frayed tips. [5] [9] The edges of the leaf blades are often bordered to the base. [6] The cells of the leaf blades lack riblets. [6]

Branch leaves

Branch leaves Sphagnum teres (a, 150138-481740) 9037.JPG
Branch leaves

The leaves overlap in a roof-like manner, but in shaded or drying plants, the tips of the leaves often spread more or less. [9] The leaves are relatively large, reaching up to 2 mm and about 1 mm in width. [9] [10] They have an oval shape, tapering into a long, triangular beak. [5] [10] In cross-section, large water cells are convex on both sides of the leaf, but more so on the ventral side. [9] Both sides are highly porous. [6] The assimilatory cells are triangular, trapezoidal, or oval. They are convex and wider on the dorsal side of the leaves, where their cell walls are more thickened. [5] [9]

Gametangia and sporophytes

The gametangia are dioecious. [6] Male plants are usually smaller than vegetative ones. [7] The perigonial leaves, supporting the antheridia, do not differ from the vegetative branch leaves. [4] However, the branches with antheridia are shorter, browner, and more densely covered with leaves than vegetative ones. [7] The perichaetial leaves, supporting the archegonia and later the sporophyte, are elongated and tongue-shaped, reaching lengths of between 4 and 5 mm and widths of 2 mm. [4] Sporangia are formed infrequently. [7] The spores are gray-brown and reach about 25 μm in diameter. [4]

Similar Species

Macroscopically, Sphagnum girgensohnii , or Girgensohn's bogmoss, is especially similar but has lighter stems (ranging from light green to at most light brown). Sphagnum angustifolium , or fine bogmoss, is also similar, but its apex bud is always hidden by the branches. [7]

Ecology and biology

Patch of Sphagnum teres at the edge of a transitional peatland and a bulrush swamp with lesser pond-sedge and marsh fern Sphagnum teres kz05.jpg
Patch of Sphagnum teres at the edge of a transitional peatland and a bulrush swamp with lesser pond-sedge and marsh fern

Sphagnum teres has a broad trophic spectrum; [7] it occurs in eutrophic and mesotrophic peatlands, [1] as well as fens. [9] However, these habitats are always minerotrophically fed, meaning they are nourished by waters that have previously flowed through mineral substrates. [5] The species is tolerant of varying moisture levels and shade [1] but prefers open areas, rarely growing in thickets or sparse forests, [9] always in locations that are at least damp or wet. [7] It is frequently found in basophilic soligenous peatlands and moss-rich communities within the tundra. [1] It is usually accompanied by other Sphagnum that prefer habitats with higher trophic status, such as Sphagnum warnstorfii , [5] [9] S. subnitens , S. centrale , S. squarrosum , and S. girgensohnii . [5] Common vascular plant companions include common reed, sedges, and rushes. [7]

In the mountains, it can be found at elevations up to 2,400 meters. [1]

In the classification of plant communities in Central Europe, Sphagnum teres is characteristic of Caricion lasiocarpae. [11] In 21st-century syntaxonomic classifications, priority is given to the name Stygio-Caricion limosaeNordhagen 1943, and some communities from Caricion lasiocarpae are included in the group Sphagno-Caricion canescentisPassarge (1964) 1978 and Caricion davallianaeKlika 1934. Sphagnum teres lent its name to Sphagnion teretisSuccow 1974, which is currently divided into Sphagno warnstorfii-Tomentypnion nitentisDahl 1957 and Caricion fuscaeKoch 1926. [12]

Sporophytes form infrequently, usually maturing in late spring and early summer. [4]

Systematics and variation

Sphagnum teres is classified under the subgenus Isocladus(Lindb.) Braithw. and the section Squarrosa(Russow) Schimp.. [5] [6] [13] This section includes medium to large-sized Sphagnum characterized by a head with a prominent terminal bud, with stem leaves that are either spreading or partially drooping, large, tongue-shaped (± rectangular), and somewhat serrated at the tip. [14] In Europe, the only other species belonging to this section, alongside S. teres, is S. squarrosum; [14] two additional species, S. mirum and S. tundrae, are included outside of Europe. [15]

The presence of plants exhibiting intermediate characteristics between Sphagnum teres and S. squarrosum, as well as their close genetic relationship, suggests the possibility of hybridization between these species. [5]

Historically, a range of forms was attributed to variations arising from habitat conditions. Plants with branch leaves arranged in an overlapping (closely adhering to the branches) pattern were designated as f. imbricatumWarnst. (also f. leioclada), while those with outward-spreading leaf tips were categorized as f. squarrosulumWarnst. (also f. echinoclada).

Threats and protection

The species is widely distributed and common in many areas. On a continental scale in Europe, its resources are considered substantial (especially in Scandinavia and the Baltic countries), and it holds the status of Least-concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. [1] Despite the decline of the species in southeastern and central Europe, its overall resources are assessed as generally stable. [1]

Related Research Articles

<i>Sphagnum</i> Genus of mosses, peat moss

Sphagnum is a genus of approximately 380 accepted species of mosses, commonly known as sphagnum moss, also bog moss and quacker moss. Accumulations of Sphagnum can store water, since both living and dead plants can hold large quantities of water inside their cells; plants may hold 16 to 26 times as much water as their dry weight, depending on the species. The empty cells help retain water in drier conditions.

<i>Helodium blandowii</i> Species of moss

Helodium blandowii, also known as Blandow's helodium moss, Blandow's tamarisk-moss, Blandow's bogmoss, and Blandow's feathermoss, is a common moss species in Europe. It is also found in North America, Central Asia and Greenland. It is considered rare plant in the Western U.S., including Oregon and California. It occurs all around the northern hemisphere in higher latitudes, and in some places is not as rare as in the Western U.S.

<i>Aulacomnium palustre</i> Species of moss

Aulacomnium palustre, the bog groove-moss or ribbed bog moss, is a moss that is nearly cosmopolitan in distribution. It occurs in North America, Hispaniola, Venezuela, Eurasia, and New Zealand. In North America, it occurs across southern arctic, subboreal, and boreal regions from Alaska and British Columbia to Greenland and Quebec. Documentation of ribbed bog moss's distribution in the contiguous United States is probably incomplete. It is reported sporadically south to Washington, Wyoming, Georgia, and Virginia.

<i>Sphagnum angustifolium</i> Species of moss

Sphagnum angustifolium, the fine bogmoss, is a species of peat moss with a Holarctic distribution. A member of the S. recurvum species complex within Sphagnum section Cuspidata, it is a relatively small, green to yellowish moss that grows in wet, moderately nutrient-rich mires, typically forming carpets or growing intermixed with other peat moss species. The species can be distinguished from its close relatives by having no more than four branches per fascicle and distinctive large pores on its hanging branch leaves, though identification becomes more challenging in southern populations where morphological characteristics are less distinct.

<i>Sphagnum girgensohnii</i> Species of moss

Sphagnum girgensohnii, commonly known as Girgensohn's bogmoss, Girgensohn's sphagnum or common green peat moss, is a species of peat moss with a Holarctic and Indo-Malesian distribution. First described by Edmund Russow in 1865, it is a relatively robust moss species characterised by its green to straw-coloured appearance and distinctive branching pattern. The species typically grows in shaded, damp woodlands and on the edges of mires, forming loose mats particularly under birch and willow trees, and can be found from sea level to elevations of 2,200 metres. While it shows a mainly northern distribution pattern and is especially abundant in subarctic regions, it occurs throughout Europe from Portugal to Russia, being more common in upland areas. Despite facing threats from habitat degradation and land-use changes, S. girgensohnii is assessed by the IUCN as Least Concern due to its extensive range and stable populations, though it receives legal protection under various national and international frameworks, including the EU Habitats Directive.

<i>Sphagnum palustre</i> Species of moss

Sphagnum palustre, the prairie sphagnum or blunt-leaved bogmoss, is a species of peat moss from the genus Sphagnum, in the family Sphagnaceae. Like other mosses of this type it can soak up water up to the 30-fold amount of its own dry weight thanks to its elastic spiral fibers. S. palustre is rather frequent and is spread almost all over the world. It mainly grows in wet forests and—compared to other specimens of this genus—rarely grows in moors.

<i>Empodisma minus</i> Species of flowering plant

Empodisma minus, commonly known as (lesser) wire rush or spreading rope-rush, is a perennial evergreen belonging to the southern-hemisphere family of monocotyledonous plants Restionaceae. The Latin name Empodisma minus translates to “tangle-foot” “small”. E. minus is found from Queensland to South Australia, Tasmania and throughout New Zealand south of 38 ° latitude, or the central north island. Its current conservation status is “Least concern”. In 2012, the new species Empodisma robustum was described in New Zealand, with what was previously described as E. minus from the lowland raised bogs of Waikato and Northland now being re-classified as E. robustum. E. minus remains an important peatformer in the south of New Zealand and in high altitude peatlands.

<i>Sphagnum capillifolium</i> Species of moss

Sphagnum capillifolium, the red bogmoss, northern peat moss, acute-leaved bog-moss, or small red peat moss, is a species of peat moss native to Canada, the northern United States, Greenland, and Europe. Small red peat moss can be distinguished by its sweeping, outward-curving branches that resemble tresses. Sphagnum moss can hold large amounts of water within its cells, up to 20 times its own weight. This capability is due to its dead, empty cells called hyaline cells that fill up with water. This allows the moss to survive in wet, boggy habitats around rivers and lakes.

<i>Sphagnum squarrosum</i> Species of moss

Sphagnum squarrosum, commonly known as the spiky bog-moss or spreading-leaved bog moss, is a peat moss species found in nutrient-rich, damp soils and wetlands across the Northern Hemisphere, with isolated populations in South America. Its spiky appearance, resulting from strongly spreading branch leaves, distinguishes it from other peat moss species. Playing an important role in wetland succession, the species is one of the first Sphagnum mosses to colonise developing wetlands. It shows considerable tolerance to mineral-rich conditions and actively modifies its habitat through cation exchange processes.

<i>Sphagnum fuscum</i> Species of moss

Sphagnum fuscum, the rusty bogmoss or rusty peat moss, is a peat moss found commonly in Norway and Sweden, and can be found scattered across North America, the United Kingdom, and in southern to eastern Europe.

<i>Sphagnum cuspidatum</i> Species of moss

Sphagnum cuspidatum, the feathery bogmoss, toothed sphagnum, or toothed peat moss, is a peat moss found commonly in Great Britain, Norway, Sweden, the eastern coast of the United States, and in Colombia.

<i>Sphagnum fimbriatum</i> Species of moss

Sphagnum fimbriatum, the fringed bogmoss, is a peat moss found in temperate regions worldwide, from the Arctic to New Zealand and along the Andes. William Wilson formally described the species in 1846. Plants measure up to 10 cm (4 in) tall, varying from slender to moderately robust forms. It forms loose carpets or soft mounds in wetlands and is identified by its stem leaves with fringed upper margins. The stem leaves distinguish it from other Sphagnum species, including its close relative S. girgensohnii which has rectangular stem leaves fringed only at the tip.

<i>Warnstorfia exannulata</i> Species of plant

Warnstorfia exannulata is a leafy branching wetland moss in the genus Warnstorfia within the family Amblystegiaceae and class Bryopsida. This bryopsida moss is also known as ringless-hook moss or Warnstorfia moss. It is the most common species of the genus in wetland environments and can be difficult to distinguish from others within the genus. It grows in acidic soils like fens and bogs, or in freshwater pools and lakes.

<i>Sphagnum papillosum</i> Species of moss

Sphagnum papillosum, the papillose peatmoss, is a species of peat moss distributed throughout the northern hemisphere. Although sometimes confused with Sphagnum imbricatum and Sphagnum palustre, it is distinguished by its yellow-green to brown short, blunt branches and papillose chlorophyllose cells.

Sphagnum platyphyllum, the flat-leaved bogmoss, is a species of moss in the family Sphagnaceae. It is a circumpolar peat moss found in arctic and subarctic regions of Europe and Asia, with populations also occurring in North America. The species typically grows in loose mats in wet, moderately nutrient-rich environments, particularly in areas dominated by sedges and locations that experience seasonal flooding. First described as a variety in 1875 and elevated to species status in 1884, it belongs to the subgenus Subsecunda within the "Pacific Rim clade". While most populations are haploid, the species shows evidence of a complex evolutionary history, including rare allodiploid populations. Although widely distributed and classified as a least-concern species globally, it faces varying levels of conservation concern across its range, being critically endangered in several European countries due to habitat degradation, peat extraction, and climate change. The species is distinctive among peat mosses for its poorly developed capitula with protruding stem buds, and its dioecious reproduction, with male plants and spore-producing structures being rare in many regions.

<i>Sphagnum quinquefarium</i> Species of moss

Sphagnum quinquefarium, the five-ranked bog-moss, is a species of peat moss belonging to the family Sphagnaceae. It is characterised by its distinctive five-ranked leaf arrangement and three spreading branches per fascicle. It typically grows in loose, upright formations in damp, shaded woodlands rather than in peatlands, preferring areas with high atmospheric humidity. The medium-sized moss has a pale green to yellowish-green colouring, often marked with pink or red patches, and can be distinguished from similar species by its prismatic branch appearance and parallel-sided stem leaves. Found throughout the Northern Hemisphere, it is most abundant in oceanic and sub-oceanic regions, particularly in northwestern Europe and the Carpathian Mountains, with populations also occurring in eastern Asia and coastal North America. While commonly hybridising with S. capillifolium in areas where their ranges overlap, the species maintains its distinctness through different habitat preferences. Conservation status varies significantly across its range, from being common in some regions to vulnerable and legally protected in others, such as Hungary.

<i>Sphagnum wulfianum</i> Species of moss

Sphagnum wulfianum, commonly known as Wulf's peatmoss, is a species of moss belonging to the family Sphagnaceae. It has a circumboreal distribution, occurring primarily in moist boreal forest environments across Eurasia and North America, with rare occurrences in Arctic tundra regions. The species is morphologically distinctive among peat mosses, characterised by having six to twelve branches per fascicle, a unique feature in the genus. First described in 1860 from Estonia, it typically grows in boggy mineral-rich spruce forests and at the borders of mires, forming small carpets and hummocks. While the species has a large geographic range and stable overall population trends in Europe, it faces regional conservation challenges, particularly at its range edges, where it is considered endangered in several countries due to habitat degradation from peatland drainage, forestry, and agriculture. Genetic studies indicate remarkably low genetic diversity throughout its range, suggesting high rates of gene flow across large distances despite infrequent spore production.

<i>Andreaea blyttii</i> Species of moss

Andreaea blyttii, also commonly known as Blytt's rock moss, is a moss belonging to the family Andreaeaceae, commonly known as rock moss, granite moss, or lantern moss because of this family's unique sporangium. It is part of the genus Andreaea which is known for forming dark brownish or reddish-black carpets in high elevations. This species was first described by Wilhelm Philippe Schimper in 1855.

<i>Sphagnum rubellum</i> Species of plant in the family Sphagnaceae

Sphagnum rubellum, commonly known as the red peat moss, is a species of peat moss in the family Sphagnaceae. It forms low, reddish cushions in wet areas like bogs and poor fens across North America and Eurasia, particularly in regions with oceanic climates. The species can vary in colour from green to pink or deep crimson, and grows up to 10 centimetres tall. Like other peat mosses, it plays an important role in forming and maintaining peatlands.

<i>Sphagnum australe</i> Species of Sphagnum moss

Sphagnum australe is a species of Sphagnum found in southeastern Australia.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Ignatov, M.; Baisheva, E. (2019). "Sphagnum teres (Europe assessment)". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2019: e.T168622A87760793. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  2. ↑ NatureServe. "Sphagnum teres". NatureServe Explorer. Arlington, Virginia. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
  3. ↑ "Sphagnum teres (Schimp.) Ångstr". Global Biodiversity Information Facility . Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Andrus, Richard E. "Sphagnum teres (Schimper) Ångstrom". www.efloras.org. Retrieved 2024-10-01.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Laine, Jukka; Harju, Pirkko, eds. (2011). The Intricate Beauty of Sphagnum Mosses. A Finnish Guide to Identification (2 ed.). Helsinki: Department of Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki. pp. 100–101. ISBN   978-952-10-5617-8.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Szafran, Bronisław (1957). Flora Polska. Rośliny zarodnikowe Polski i ziem ościennych. Mchy (Musci)[Polish Flora: Spore Plants of Poland and Adjacent Lands. Mosses (Musci)] (in Polish). Vol. I. Warsaw: Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe. pp. 32–33.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Daniels, R. E.; Eddy, A. (1990). Handbook of european sphagna (2 ed.). London: Institute of Terrestrial Ecology. pp. 117–121. ISBN   978-0-11-701431-2.
  8. 1 2 Smith, Anthony J. E. (2006). The moss flora of Britain and Ireland. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press. pp. 58–59. ISBN   978-0-521-54672-0.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Stebel, Adam (2017). Torfowce Leśnego Kompleksu Promocyjnego "Lasy Środkowopomorskie" (Pomorze Zachodnie)[Sphagnum Mosses of the Promotional Forest Complex "Central Pomeranian Forests" (Western Pomerania)] (in Polish). Sianów: Nadleśnictwo Karnieszewice. pp. 26, 66–68. ISBN   978-83-937066-3-1.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 Kłosowski, Stanisław; Kłosowski, Grzegorz (2007). Rośliny wodne i bagienne[Aquatic and Marsh Plants] (in Polish). Warsaw: Multico Oficyna Wydawnicza. p. 267. ISBN   978-83-7073-248-6.
  11. ↑ Matuszkiewicz, Władysław (2005). Przewodnik do oznaczania zbiorowisk roślinnych Polski[Guide to Identifying Plant Communities of Poland] (in Polish). Warsaw: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN. p. 132. ISBN   83-01-14439-4.
  12. ↑ Mucina, Ladislav (2016). "Vegetation of Europe: hierarchical floristic classification systemof vascular plant, bryophyte, lichen, and algal communities". Applied Vegetation Science. 19 (1): 3–264. Bibcode:2016AppVS..19S...3M. doi:10.1111/avsc.12257. hdl: 10198/15318 .
  13. ↑ Ochyra, Ryszard; Bednarek-Ochyra, Halina; Żarnowiec, Jan (2003). Census catalogue of Polish mosses. Kraków: Polish Academy of Sciences. Institute of Botany. p. 15. ISBN   978-83-85444-84-8.
  14. 1 2 Amphlett, Andy; Payne, Sandy. "Field key to Sphagnum" (PDF). britishbryologicalsociety.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-10-01.
  15. ↑ Ayotte, Gilles; Rochefort, Line (2020). Sphagnum Mosses of Eastern Canada. Editions JFD. p. 16. ISBN   978-2-89799-093-0.
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