sedumzz said: Lovely Sphagnum. Do you have an ID for it?
I still have quite some Sphagnum I need to put under the microscope for an ID.
I have an old American Optical binocular scope. 25X with a huge field of view.
I do not have an ID. I downloaded a key to the Mosses in NJ, but never got any further. Here is the text for the headings of each section. I have to get out a dictionary to understand all of the botanical terms. College was too long ago.
Bowman, Keith. 2017. Field Guide to the Moss Genera in New Jersey With Coefficient of Conservation and Indicator Status. New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, New Jersey Forest Service, Office of Natural Lands Management, Trenton, NJ, 08625. Submitted to United States Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2, State Wetlands Protection Development Grant, Section 104(B)(3); CFDA No. 66.461, CD97225809.
Sphagnaceae
Sphagnum
Substrates: various
Habitats: various open or forested wetland habitats, wet forests
CoC: 7 (highly variable)
Indicator Status: OBL
New Jersey plants are typically upright with young branches arranged spirally around stem and in a distinct head (captitulum) at growing apex. The branches are grouped into fascicles along the stem. The fascicles usually contain branches growing out from the stem (spreading) and along the stem (pendent), but they may rarely only include spreading branches. The pendent branches are typically more slender than spreading branches and have a tendency to adhere to and cover the stem. The branch fascicles typically contain 2 spreading and 1-2 pendent branches, but there may be up to 12-14 per fascicle. Some species may lack branches or the branches may not be clearly differentiated. The branch leaves are normally inrolled and broadest about 25% to 35% the distance from the base and more or less tapered to a hooded (cucullate) to involute apex. The stem leaves more or less flat and usually broadest at the base. The stem and branch leaves are composed of alternating inflated, S-shaped to rhomboid clear (hyaline cells) and narrow linear green (chlorophyllous) cells. The hyaline cells are typically fibrillose and porose on branch leaves while stem leaves may be less fibrillose or not at all and less porose or not at all than the branch leaves although these features are not visible under low magnification. The sporophytes consist of a spherical capsule, a very short seta, and a foot, and are exserted on a pseudopodium of gametophytic tissue.
Sphagnum
Section Sphagnum
The swollen and inflated appearance of the spreading branches is the most distinctive feature of this section. The species in this section are typically large and possess a distinct head (capitulum). The colors are quite variable within the section and within individual species. Plants in this section are variable in color and can be pale green, green, yellowish, red, tan, brown, or dark brown. The individual stems can be green, brown or reddish and possess leaves that are commonly as large as or larger than branch leaves. The leaves can be variously tongue shape often with a broad rounded apex and border fringes. The pendent and spreading branches are differentiated. The pendent branches lack the swollen appearance of the spreading branches and are rather slender and often shorter. The fascicles contain 2 - 3 spreading branches and 1 - 3 pendent branches. The branches tend to be green with variously egg-shaped leaves, which have hood-shaped tips, a rough lower surface, and toothed margins.
Sphagnum
Section Rigida
The plants are low-growing, forming loose mats to compact cushions. The capitulum is often indistinct or sometimes concealed by upward growing branches. The colors are variable, pale green, straw-colored brownish to reddish. The stem leaves are much smaller than the branch leaves, which are tongue-shaped with a broadened at base giving them a rather triangular shape, with an entire margin. The branches are strongly differentiated, with the spreading branches much stronger than pendent branches. The fascicles contain 2 - 3 spreading branches and 2 sometimes 3 pendent branches. The branches are commonly green, though they can range from green to brownish. The branch leaves egg-shaped to long egg-shaped with a broadly, rather short tips which are smooth and toothed, and fine sharp teeth on the margins.
Sphagnum
Section Squarrosa
The plants in this section range in size from medium to quite large. The capitulum is quite distinct in the members of this section. The colors vary from green to yellowish-brown. The stems range from green to dark reddish brown and have egg-shaped to tongue-shaped leaves that have a broad, fringed tip and for the most part lack a distinct border along margins or at the base. The branches are differentiated with the pendent branches thinner, though similar in length, than the spreading branches. The branches are green with leaves that are spreading at right angles from the stem or sometimes just spreading. The leaves are egg-shaped, some long, others spearhead shaped. The leaf margins are entire and in rolled and smooth at the top.
Sphagnum
Section Isocladus
The plants are coarse and robust and usually found floating or submerged, but sometimes stranded by a lowered water table. The capitulum is not distinctly apparent on members of this section, though the leaves are crowded into a tuft. The color of the plants is variable and changes whether the plants are wet or dry. When wet the plants are deep green throughout or dark reddish brown to blackish brown with yellowish branch tips becoming shiny pale green to straw colored or brown when dry. The stems are green to brownish with leaves which are much smaller than branch leaves and broadly triangular in shape. The stem leaves also have entire borders and rounded leaf tips. The branches are not differentiated in appearance. The fascicles contain 2 - 3 branches. The branch stems are green with leaves taper at both ends and can be variously elongated and narrowed and sometime may be egg or tongue-shaped. The leaf tips can be tubular due to in-rolled margins or sometimes just flat and rounded.
Sphagnum
Section Cuspidata
The plants of members of this section are variable ranging from lax, free floating to compact terrestrial forms. The capitulum is usually distinct, though varying in colors including green, whitish, pale, yellow-green to light brownish, and rarely dark-colored. The stems are green, brown, dark brown, sometimes pink in parts. The stem leaves are triangular to tongue-shaped and tend to be smaller than branch leaves, apex apiculate, acute, broad, or erose and split, border narrow or broad at base. The branches are differentiated with the pendent branches more slender and delicate than the spreading branches. The fascicles contain 2 - 3 spreading branches and 1 - 3 pendent branches. The branches are green to pinkish with egg-shaped to lance-shaped leaves, which are usually longer than the stem leaves. The branch leaves can have entire to slightly toothed margins entire and tips which roll inward exposing a smooth lower surface.
Sphagnum
Section Subsecunda
The members of this section can be erect to prostrate, and are extremely variable. The capitulum is not often well-developed. The colors are limited in their ability to aid in identification as individuals can be green, yellowish, light brown, golden brown, reddish brown, or dark brown. The stems are green to dark brown and possess leaves which can be smaller the branch leaves, but in some species they are distinctly larger, and others which lie in between. The branch leaves range from triangular, egg-shape, to tongue-shaped and can have rounded and sometimes raged notched tips. The branches are not always distinctly differentiated, with the spreading and pendent branches very similar. The fascicles contain 1 - 3 spreading branches and sometimes are few as no pendent branches to as many as 4. The branch stems are green with oval, egg-shaped or long-egg-shaped leaves.
Sphagnum
Section Acutifolia
Size is variable in this section with plants ranging from small to robust. The capitulum is distinct in this section. The plants can be green, brown, pink, or red. The stems are green, red or brown with leaves which are similar in size to branch leaves. The stem leaves range in shape from triangular with a narrow tip to tongue-shaped with a narrow base and broad rounded tip. The leaf tips can be entire to lacerate and the leaf borders entire or finely fringed. The branches types are differentiated with spreading branches that are generally longer and thicker than the pendent branches. The fascicles contain 2 - 3 spreading branches and 1 - 2 pendent branches. The branch stems are green with egg-shaped leaves, which can be more or less elongate. The leaf margins entire or toothed and in-rolled near the leaf tip, which is smooth at back.