Shropshire Botanical Society Newsletter - Botanical Society of the ...

The Genus Sphagnum a Guide Part 2: Sphagnumpalustre, S. papillosum and S. magellanicumMartin GodfreyIntroductionIn the previous edition of the “Newsletter” I gave an overview of the structure ofSphagnum plants to help botanists who would like to identify these plants to species.In this edition I provide some identification notes to three of the larger species.GeneralAll three of these species are in the section “Sphagnum” of the genus Sphagnum andare characterised by their large size and “chunky” appearance with broad, concaveand “hooded” branch leaves and the broad stem cortex mentioned in the previousarticle. S. palustre has the broadest ecological amplitude of the three and may befound in wet woodland as well as bogs, mires and flushes. S. papillosum and S.magellanicum are both more typical of raised bogs and mires and are generally lessshade tolerant than S. palustre.Sphagnum magellanicumThis species is unlikely to be confused with the other two as it grows in deephummocks with the individual plants having a deep wine red colour making it veryconspicuous – Fig 1.Fig. 1 Sphagnum magellanicumThe only other species which grows in wine-red mounds on bogs is S. capillifoliumwhich is much smaller, has fine pointed leaves and does not show the broad stemcortex.Sphagnum palustre and Sphagnum papillosumAlthough when well grown these two species are reasonably easy to distinguish, theyare frequently confused and so are dealt with here together.S. palustre is usually more or less green in colour, although it may show some ochrein the middle of the capitulum, and grows in rather loose carpets or mounds – Fig. 2.10