Sphagnum lenense
Trudy Glavn. Bot. Sada 33: 14. 1915,.
Plants compact, short-branched and small; strongly reddish to golden brown, glossy when dry; flat-topped capitulum with moderately differentiated terminal bud. Stems dark brown; superficial cortex of 3–4 layers of enlarged thin-walled cells. Stem leaves lingulate,small, equal to or less than 0.8 mm, appressed to stem; apex with strong lacerate split in the middle; hyaline cells efibrillose, aporose, and nonseptate. Branches strongly 5-ranked, short and blunt, not much elongated at distal end. Branch fascicles with 2 spreading and 2–3 pendent branches. Branch stems green, with cortex enlarged with retort cells. Branch leaves ovate; usually less than 1.5 mm; stiff and slightly reflexed, straight to slightly subsecund; margins entire; hyaline cells moderately long and narrow (6–8:1), convex surface with one small round pore per cell at apex and numerous pseudopores on the margin, concave surface with large round wall thinnings in the cell angles and ends; chlorophyllous cells triangular in transverse section, with apex reaching concave surface. Sexual condition unknown. Spores not seen.
Habitat: Common forming hummocks and carpets in a variety of weakly minerotrophic to ombrotrophic mires including Eriophorum tussock fens, dwarf shrub fens, polygon peatlands, string mires and raised bogs
Elevation: low to moderate elevations
Distribution
Greenland, Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.), N.W.T., Nunavut, Que., Yukon, Alaska, Eurasia.
Discussion
Sporophytes are rare in Sphagnum lenense. This species is easily distinguished from the similar S. lindbergii by its compact growth form and reddish brown color. Sphagnum lenense also is a hummock former in the tundra whereas S. lindbergii forms carpets.
Selected References
None.