Flat Topped Bog Moss

Sporophytes are uncommon, capsules mature early to mid summer.

Sphagnum fallax can be distinguished from the closely related S. isoviitae by its sharply recurved branch leaves, as opposed to the leaves of the latter only slightly reflexed at their tips. See also discussion under 26. S. brevifolium and 46. S. splendens.

Plants moderate-sized, fairly stiff-stemmed; green, brownish green, pale yellow, golden yellow, yellow and brown; capitulum hemispherical and not 5-radiate to somewhat 5-radiate in shade-grown or wet-grown forms. Stems pale green to pale brown, superficial cortex of 2 layers of moderately differentiated cells. Stem leaves triangular to lingulate-triangular, 0.8-1.2 mm, mostly appressed to the stem, apex acute to apiculate, hyaline cells mostly efibrillose and nonseptate. Branches straight, mostly unranked, but can be 5-ranked in wet-growing forms, leaves little elongated at distal branch ends. Branch fascicles with 2 spreading and 2-3 pendent branches. Branch stems green but proximal end sometimes red, with cortex enlarged with conspicuous retort cells. Branch leaves ovate-lanceolate, greater than 1.2 mm, straight, undulate and sharply recurved when dry, margins entire; hyaline cells on convex surface with usually 1 round pore per cell at apical end, on concave side with round wall thinnings in the cell ends and angles; chlorophyllous cells triangular and just reaching or slightly enclosed within the concave surface. Sexual condition dioicous. Spores 25-31 µm; proximal surface finely papillose, distal surface pusticulate with bifurcated Y-mark sculpture; proximal laesura less than 0.5 spore radius.

Plants slender, medium-sized, green to yellowish green or brown tinged with reddish color under intense daylight, in compact tufts. Stem cortex in 2–4 layers, hyaline cells thick-walled, without pores; central cylinder yellowish green. Stem leaves 0.8–1.0 mm × 0.8–1.0 mm, nearly equilateral-triangular, somewhat concave, apiculate to acute and involute-cucullate at the apex, borders narrow above, suddenly widened below (ca. 1/3 the leaf width at base); hyaline cells undivided, without fibrils. Branches in fascicles of 3–5, with 1–2 spreading, capitula usually in 5-radiate. Branch leaves 0.8–3.0 mm × 0.5–1.0 mm, lanceolate to narrowly ovate-lanceolate, loosely spreading and contorted, slightly erose at the apex, undulate at the margins and recurved at the tips when dry, borders narrow; hyaline cells fibrillose, rarely with pores on the ventral surface, sometimes with few pores at corners on the dorsal surface; green cells triangular, exposed on the dorsal surface. Dioicous. Sporophytes not seen.

Distribution: China, Japan, Russian Far East, Europe, and North America.

Habitat: on peatland at the edge of fens or on humus, hummock-hollow habitat under forests.

Sphagnum cuspidatum var. fallax H. Klinggräff, Schriften Phys.-Ökon. Ges. Königsberg 13: 7. 1872; S. apiculatum H. Lindberg; S. flexuosum var. fallax (H. Klinggräff) A. J. E. Smith; S. mucronatum (Russow) Zickendrath; S. recurvum var. brevifolium (Braithwaite) Warnstorf; S. recurvum var. fallax (H. Klinggräff) H. K. G. Paul; S. recurvum subsp. mucronatum Russow

Sphagnum apiculatum H. Lindb. in Bauer, Sitz.-ber. Deuts. Nat.-Med. Ver. Böhmen Lotos 51: 123. 1903, nom. superfl. Sphagnum cuspidatum var. brevifolium Lindb. ex Braithw., Sphag. Eur. N. Am. 84. 1880. Sphagnum recurvum var. brevifolium (Lindb. ex Braithw.) Warnst., Flora 67: 608. 1884. Sphagnum recurvum var. mucronatum (Russ.) Warnst., Bot. Gaz. 15: 218. 1890.

Sphagnum fallax, the flat-topped bogmoss, is a moss species in the genus Sphagnum