Red Bog Moss

Sporophytes are uncommon in Sphagnum rubellum. This common species is associated with S. angustifolium, S. capillifolium, S. fallax, S. fuscum, S. magellanicum, S. papillosum, S. recurvum, and S. tenellum. Inland, it has a greater tendency to form extensive carpets and floating mats than hummocks. See also discussion under 65. S. andersonianum, 68. S. bartlettianum, and 86. S. talbotianum.

Plants small to moderate-sized, slender, fairly stiff but soft, capitulum flat-topped and stellate; deep maroon-red to variegated red and yellowish green, lacking metallic sheen when dry. Stems red, yellowish or pale green; superficial cortical cells aporose. Stem leaves lingulate-triangular to lingulate, 1-1.4 mm, apex broadly rounded but becoming acute in hemiisophyllous forms, border strongly developed at base (more than 0.25 width); hyaline cells rhombic and 0-3-septate with some cells in leaf midregion 2-septate. Branches weakly to strongly 5-ranked. Branch fascicles with 2 spreading and 1-2 pendent branches. Branch leaves ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 0.9-1.2 mm, concave, subsecund on some branches, apex involute; hyaline cells on convex surface with numerous round to elliptic pores along the commissures, grading from small round pores near apex to round pores near base, on concave surface with large round pores in proximal portions of leaf. Sexual condition dioicous. Spores 18-33 µm, coarsely papillose on both surfaces; proximal laesura less than 0.4 spore radius.

Plants soft, slender, sometimes fairly robust, variable in color, usually pale yellowish green, tinged with pinkish, reddish or purple, in loose or compact tufts. Stem cortex in 3–4 layers, hyaline cells without fibrils, usually with large pores; central cylinder pale yellowish, tinged with reddish. Stem leaves 0.9–1.4 mm × 0.6–0.7 mm, triangular-ligulate or oblong-ligulate, rounded, dentate or lacerate, sometimes cucullate at the apex; borders narrow above, clearly widened below; hyaline cells 1 to multi-divided, without fibrils or rarely with the traces of fibrils in the upper cells. Branches in fascicles of 5–6, with 2–3 spreading. Branch leaves 0.9–1.3 mm × 0.4–0.5 mm, oblong-ovate or ovate-lanceolate, usually secund from the middle, rounded and dentate at the apex; margins involute above; hyaline cells with small pores at the corners in the upper cells, large, rounded, ringed pores in the lower cells on the ventral surface, with small pores in the upper cells, half-rounded pores at the opposite ends on the dorsal surface; green cells in cross section narrowly triangular or trapezoidal, exposed more broadly on the ventral surface, enclosed by hyaline cells on the dorsal surface, or sometimes exposed on both surfaces. Dioicous or monoicous; antheridial branches purple reddish. Perigonial leaves large, broadly ovate, slightly concave with apiculate apices. Sporophytes not seen.

Distribution: China, India, Japan, Russia (Siberia), Europe, Greenland, and North America.

Habitat: on hummocks at the top.

Sphagnum acutifolium var. tenellum Schimper; S. capillaceum var. tenellum (Schimper) A. L. Andrews; S. capillifolium var. tenellum (Schimper) H. A. Crum

Sphagnum rubellum, the red peat moss, is a widespread species of moss in the family Sphagnaceae, native to the cool temperate parts of North America and Eurasia. It is slower growing than its close relative Sphagnum capillifolium.