Moss Specimen

Date2007

Object numberHF.2012.49.8

DescriptionA large sample of Sphagnum squarrosum Crome moss, light green-yellow in colour with intertwined leaves and stems. Leaves branch from stem and point outward with spike-like points along the surface. Sample is vaguely square in shape. Dark brown soil present at center left. Reverse appears similar to top with interwoven branches, light green-yellow in colour with small area of brown soil present along outer edge.

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Bryophyta
Class: Sphagnopsida
Order: Sphagnales
Family: Sphagnaceae
Genus: Sphagnum
Species: Sphagnum squarrosum

Narrative

Collected July 25, 2007, by Rosemary Curley from Pratt Road, Southampton, Kings County, PEI (46°22'39.98"N, 62°33'48"W. Datum: NAD83). Found growing on ground.

Sphagnum squarrosum Crome is a robust moss that typically forms loose carpets on the floor of coniferous forests. The species name refers to the lead orientation which bend abruptly outwards. The stem of Sphagnum squarrosum is dark with a large, prominent, apical bud. Stem leaves are generally 1.5-2 mm long and oblong in shape with broadly rounded tips.

It is a fen species, growing in habitats with nutrient rich, damp soil including woodlands, streambanks and ditches, and can sometimes be found at high altitudes. It has a widespread distribution within the Northern Hemisphere and is present in the subarctic to eastern regions of Canada, including all three Maritime provinces. It can also be found in New Zealand, southward in North America to North Carolina and west to California.

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