Sphagnum majus subsp. majus

Synonyms: Sphagnum dusenii Russow & Warnstorf
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 27. Treatment on page 71. Mentioned on page 72, 73.

Plants golden brown to dark brown; branches strongly laterally curved. Stem leaves 0.8–1.3 mm, usually appressed. Branch leaves 2–2.8 mm, straight to usually strongly subsecund; hyaline cells on convex surface often with 2 pores per fibril interval, pores usually less than 1/3 cell diameter. Spores 33–38 µm; both surfaces roughly verrucate scabrate; proximal laesura less than 0.5 spore radius.


Habitat: Forming wet carpets but habitat unclear due to recent taxonomic separation from subsp. norvegicum, in North America, subsp. majus seems to occur in ombrotrophic to poor fen habitats, often on floating mats, mixed with S. cuspidatum in eastern North America
Elevation: low to moderate elevations

Distribution

V27 49-distribution-map.gif

B.C., Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.), N.S., Ont., Que., Alaska, Conn., Maine, Mass., Mich., Minn., N.H., N.J., Pa., Vt., Wis., Eurasia.

Discussion

Sporophytes of subsp. majus are rare. In the field it is typically darker brown than subsp. norvegicum, while its capitulum is denser and less stellate appearing than in the latter. See also discussion under 23. Sphagnum annulatum.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
Cyrus B. McQueen† +  and Richard E. Andrus +
(Russow) C. E.O. Jensen +
Sphagnum cuspidatum var. majus +
B.C. +, Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.) +, N.S. +, Ont. +, Que. +, Alaska +, Conn. +, Maine +, Mass. +, Mich. +, Minn. +, N.H. +, N.J. +, Pa. +, Vt. +, Wis. +  and Eurasia. +
low to moderate elevations +
Forming wet carpets but habitat unclear duForming wet carpets but habitat unclear due to recent taxonomic separation from subsp. norvegicum, in North America, subsp. majus seems to occur in ombrotrophic to poor fen habitats, often on floating mats, mixed with S. cuspidatum in eastern North Americaith S. cuspidatum in eastern North America +
in Botaniske Forening København, Festskrift, +
Sphagnum dusenii +
Sphagnum majus subsp. majus +
Sphagnum majus +
subspecies +