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.

Distribution

Worldwide except Antarctica.

Discussion

Species 5 (2 in the flora).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Sphagnum compactum, Sphagnum strictum

Key

1	Chlorophyllous cells of branch leaves elliptic in transverse section and completely enclosed on both surfaces, adjacent hyaline cell walls smooth; stem leaves lingulate to oblong-triangular.	Sphagnum compactum
1	Chlorophyllous cells of branch leaves elongate-triangular to ovate-triangular, enclosed on the adaxial surface and exposed on the convex surface, adjacent hyaline cell walls minutely papillose; stem leaves bluntly deltoid.	Sphagnum strictum