Sphagnum portoricense Hampe 1852

Sphagnum portoricense is normally very easily distinguished because of its wet growing habit and strongly clavate branches.

This species is characterized by having stem leaves nearly as long as wide, branch leaves large and deeply concave, and by having both stem leaves and branch leaves with fringed fibrils at the apices.

Plants moderate-sized to often quite robust, ± weak-stemmed, lax; green, bluish green, green and brown to dark golden brown, often speckled in appearance; found submerged in shallow water, stranded along shore lines in loose carpets. Stems brown, superficial cortical layer with spiral reinforcing fibrils clearly visible, usually many pores per cell (1-6), comb-fibrils on interior wall. Stem leaves 1.1 × 1 mm; rarely hemiisophyllous; hyaline cells non-ornamented, frequently septate. Branches clavate and rounded at distal end. Branch fascicles with 2 spreading and 2 pendent branches. Branch stems with hyaline cell comb-lamellae visible on interior cortex wall, cortical cell end walls with conspicuous funnel projections more than ¹/2 length of cell, superficial cortical wall aporose. Branch leaves broadly ovate, 2.4 × 1.7 mm; hyaline cells on convex surface with numerous round pores along the commissures, comb-lamellae on hyaline cell walls where overlying chlorophyllous cells; chlorophyllous cells broadly triangular in transverse section and well-enclosed on the convex surface. Sexual condition dioicous. Capsule with pseudostomata. Spores 22-29 µm; finely papillose on both surfaces; indistinct triradiate ridge on distal surface; proximal laesura 0.5-0.6 spore radius.

Plants grayish green, or yellow above, brownish orange below, in beautiful shiny tufts. Stem cortex in 3–4 layers, hyaline cells with delicate fibrils, each cell with 1–3 large pores; central cylinder brownish. Stem leaves 1.0–1.2 mm × 1.0–1.1 mm, broadly lingulate with a broad apex; margins borders hyaline, differentiated, sometimes with fringed fibrils across the apex; hyaline cells mostly divided, often without fibrils, or with fibrils only in the upper cells. Branches in fascicles of 4–5, with 2–3 spreading. Branch leaves 2.5–3.5 mm × 2.0–2.5 mm, broadly ovate, strongly concave, narrowed at base, margins involute and hyaline, cucullate-concave and sometimes fringed and dorsally roughened at the apex; hyaline cells with large, rounded pores on the ventral surface, with numerous, half-circular pores at the opposite ends along commissural rows and membrane pleats in the upper cells on the dorsal surface; green cells in cross section rather large, nearly equilateral-triangular, exposed on the ventral surface. Dioicous. Sporophytes not seen.

Distribution: North Asia, North, Central, and South America.

Habitat: submerged in bogs.

Sphagnum sullivantianum Austin