Light green moss sometimes tinged with red frequently forming extensive mats in bogs or seeps. Plants with generally turgid, branched with clasping leaves. Rarely with round, black/brown ovoid capsules elevated above plant on green stalk.

Sphagnum palustre is a semi-aquatic moss, often forming extensive mats in fens and bogs. Not altogether common because of its water requirements but often the most abundant plant in open, wet, acidic, nutrient poor sites.

One of 285 species of Spagnum, S. palustre may be a principle component in horticultural potting soils. Sometimes referred to as ‘peat moss, a common name for Sphagnum and other plants this plant is commercially collected for the horticultural trade because of their properties to hold up to 25% of their dry weight in water.

Reproduction is by fragmentation of the plant and production of spores. The spore capsules mature in the summer and are said to produce an audible popping sound when the capsule breaks open to release the wind dispersed spores.

Before the advent of modern medicine and antibiotics, Sphagnum, perhaps including S. palustre was used as compresses on wounds – its acidic properties serving as a natural antiseptic.

TROPICOS – w3MOST  Missouri Botanical Garden

TROPICOS – w3MOST  Missouri Botanical Garden

Species Plantarum 1106. 1753. (www. Botanicus.org) 

Sphagnum vulgare Michx.:
Canada (North America)

Sphagnum subbicolor Hampe:
Australia (Oceania)

Sphagnum palustre var. cymbifolium Ehrh.:
Caribbean (Caribbean)

Sphagnum palustre subsp. cymbifolium (Ehrh.) Russow:
Caribbean (Caribbean)

Sphagnum palustre L.:
Brazil (South America)
China (Asia)
Hawaiian Isl (Oceania)
Kazakhstan (Asia)
United States (North America)
Australia (Oceania)
Canada (North America)
Colombia (South America)

Sphagnum cymbifolium (Ehrh.) Hedw.:
China (Asia)
Caribbean (Caribbean)

Canada

Origin: Unknown/Undetermined

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Unknown/Undetermined

Confidence: Confident

United States

Origin: Unknown/Undetermined

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Unknown/Undetermined

Confidence: Confident

Eastern and western North America, Europe and reported from some Pacific islands.

Sphagnum palustre may occur elsewhere than listed above, but the taxonomy is unclear. In some open-grown situations, it may have a reddish tinge and seem similar to S. magellanicum, but this is a pinkish red color rather than the purplish red of the latter. See discussions under 5. S. henryense and 9. S. papillosum for distinction from those species.

Plants moderate-sized to robust, strong-stemmed, lax to somewhat compact, capitulum somewhat flattened to more typically compact and rounded; green to golden brown to pale brown with often a pinkish tinge; carpets to more or less compact, low to moderate sized hummocks. Stems brown, superficial cortical cells with spiral reinforcing fibrils visible, usually 2-4 pores per cell, comb-fibrils lacking on interior wall. Stem leaves to 1.7 × 1 mm, occasionally longer; rarely hemiisophyllous; hyaline cells non-ornamented, nonseptate. Branches long and tapering, leaves ± imbricate to spreading in shade forms. Branch fascicles with 2 spreading and 2 pendent branches. Branch stems with hyaline cells non-ornamented; no or weak funnel-like projections on the interior end walls, often with 1 large pore per cell on superficial cell walls. Branch leaves broadly ovate, 2.2 × 1.3 mm, hyaline cells non-ornamented, convex surface with elliptic pores along the commissures, chlorophyllous cells isosceles-triangular to ovate-triangular in transverse section and just enclosed to just exposed on the convex surface; end wall not thickened. Sexual condition dioicous. Capsule with numerous pseudostomata. Spores 24-33 µm, surface finely papillose to smooth, distal surface with distinct bifurcated Y-mark sculpture; proximal laesura more than 0.6 spore radius.

Plants stout and compact, growing in hummocks, pale to yellowish green, occasionally reddish where exposed. Cortical cells of the stem in 3-4 layers, cells large, thin walled and hyaline, with 2-7 pores per cell. Stem leaves nearly flat, cells broken down on outer surface and finely fringed at margin. Leaves with two types of cells, large, hyaline cells with inner surface reinforced by delicate spiral fibrils and smaller green cells forming network between hyaline cells, small, exposed on inner surface. Branches stout and turgid. Brach cortical cells similar to stem cells but usually with only one pore per cell. Branch leaves imbricate, broadly ovate and deeply concave. Hyaline cells of branch leaves without pores or sometimes with single pore per cell, green cells of branch leaves triangular in cross-section, broadly exposed on inner surface. Plants dioicous (separate male and female plants). Sporophytes ovoid, elevated on pseudopodium, frequently several sporophytes at top of stem. Spores tetrahedral, relatively large, 25 μm.

Sphagnum cymbifolium (Ehrhart) R. Hedwig

Plants moderate-sized to robust, strong-stemmed, lax to somewhat compact, capitulum somewhat flattened to more typically compact and rounded; pale green to golden brown to pale brown with often a pinkish tinge; carpets to more or less compact, low to moderate sized hummocks. Stems brown, superficial cortical cells with spiral reinforcing fibrils visible, usually 2-4 pores per cell, comb-fibrils lacking on interior wall. Stem leaves to 1.7 × 1 mm, occasionally longer; rarely hemiisophyllous; hyaline cells non-ornamented, nonseptate. Branches long and tapering, leaves ± imbricate to spreading in shade forms. Branch fascicles with 2 spreading and 2 pendent branches. Branch stems with hyaline cells non-ornamented; no or weak funnel-like projections on the interior end walls, often with 1 large pore per cell on superficial cell walls. Branch leaves broadly ovate, 2.2 × 1.3 mm, hyaline cells non-ornamented, convex surface with elliptic pores along the commissures, chlorophyllous cells isosceles-triangular to ovate-triangular in transverse section and just enclosed to just exposed on the convex surface; end wall not thickened. Sexual condition dioicous. Capsule with numerous pseudostomata. Spores 24-33 µm, surface finely papillose to smooth, distal surface with distinct bifurcated Y-mark sculpture; proximal laesura more than 0.6 spore radius.

• Flora of North America Vol. 27: 53

Sphagnum palustre like most other spagnums grow in various wetlands, fens, bogs, or seepage areas where water is present most of the year. The conditions are frequently acidic and usually associated with areas of poor soils with poor nutrient content.

In open, wet, bogs or fens usually in otherwise closed woodland areas of mid to lower elevation. Conditions frequently acidic and soils nutrient-poor but sometimes mineral rich.

n=38 (Fritsch, R. 1991 Index to Bryophyte Chromosome Counts. Bryophyt. Biblioth. 40: 1-352)

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 2
Species: 2
Species With Barcodes: 1

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: NNR - Unranked

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: NNR - Unranked

Painter, Terence J. 2003. Concerning the wound-healing properties of Sphagnum holocellulose: the Maillard reaction in pharmacology. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 88: 145-148.

Sphagnum wound dressings can be 3–4 times as aborbent as cotton equivalents, but they also react chemically with proteins of all kinds. This reactivity gives them the potential of immobilizing whole bacterial cells as well as the enzymes, exotoxins, and lysins secreted by the most invasive pathogens. Once immobilized, enzymes and (by inference) exotoxins and lysins are rapidly inactivated by a Maillard reaction. The complex pectin in Sphagnum is structurally similar to known, immunostimulatory pectins from other plants, including some that are traditionally used for wound healing.

Sphagnum paluste as herbal extract.