Sphagnum contortum is a species of moss[1] reported in North America and Europe. NatureServe marked its global conservation status as Secure.[2]

Sphagnum contortum
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Bryophyta
Class: Sphagnopsida
Order: Sphagnales
Family: Sphagnaceae
Genus: Sphagnum
Species:
S. contortum
Binomial name
Sphagnum contortum
Schultz, 1819

Common names

edit

In English, it goes by the common names contorted sphagnum, twisted sphagnum moss,[2] and twisted bog-moss.[3]

Description

edit

The species is dioicious[4]: 84–85  and sporophyte is rare in this species. S. contortum also has capsules[5] but it is unknown if S. contortum in Great Britain or Ireland have this.[3][4]: 84 

Distribution and habitat

edit

It occurs in minerotrophic habitats, riparian areas,[6]: 125  peatlands,[5] and rarely in open wet woodlands.[3] It also occurs at moderate to low elevations[5] and is not shade tolerant.[6]: 125 

Distribution

edit

Sphagnum contortum is frequent in northern and western parts of the British Isles but rare in southern and eastern parts.[4]: 84 

It also occurs in various parts of the United States.[2] Like in California, it occurs in the north-western parts of the state even in the Klamath Mountains.[7] NatureServe lists it as critically imperiled in States like Washington, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, and Montana[2] (it only occurs in Flathead County).[8]

In Canada, S. contortum is widely spread out through the province of Quebec[6]: 125  where it is listed as apparently secure by NatureServe. But it is listed as vulnerable in other provinces like Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario.[2]

It also occurs in other countries like Bulgaria[9] or Turkey,[10] and the Czech Republic.[11]: 291 

Response to herbicide exposure

edit

In a study of the effect of the herbicide Asulam on moss growth, Sphagnum contortum was shown to be the second most sensitive to the herbicide out of the 18 species tested. The study concluded that it was sensitive to Asulam exposure.[12]

References

edit
  1. ^ "Sphagnum contortum". National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e "NatureServe Explorer 2.0". explorer.natureserve.org. Retrieved 2022-05-22.
  3. ^ a b c "Sphagnum contortum". British Bryological Society. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  4. ^ a b c Smith, A. J. E. (2004-09-23). The Moss Flora of Britain and Ireland. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-54672-0.
  5. ^ a b c "Sphagnum contortum in Flora of North America @ efloras.org". www.efloras.org. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  6. ^ a b c Ayotte, Gilles; Rochefort, Line (2020-12-16). Sphagnum Mosses of Eastern Canada: Biology — Anatomy — Morphology — Herbarium conservation techniques and microscopic preparations (in Arabic). Editions JFD. ISBN 978-2-89799-093-0.
  7. ^ "California Moss eFlora Treatment Page". ucjeps.berkeley.edu. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  8. ^ Webmaster, David Ratz. "Contorted Sphagnum Moss - Montana Field Guide". fieldguide.mt.gov. Retrieved 2022-05-24.
  9. ^ Hájková, Petra; Hájek, Michal (2007-03-01). "Sphagnum distribution patterns along environmental gradients in Bulgaria". Journal of Bryology. 29 (1): 18–26. doi:10.1179/174328207X160577. ISSN 0373-6687. S2CID 83842170.
  10. ^ KURSCHNER, Harald; ERDAĞ, Adnan (2021-07-12). Bryophyte Locality Data From the Near and Middle East 1775-2019 Vol. 6 (in German). Hiperlink Eğitim İletişim Yayın Gıda Sanayi ve Pazarlama Tic. Ltd. Şti. ISBN 978-625-7280-78-5.
  11. ^ Chytrý, Milan; Danihelka, Jiří; Kaplan, Zdeněk; Pyšek, Petr (2017-11-10). Flora and Vegetation of the Czech Republic. Springer. ISBN 978-3-319-63181-3.
  12. ^ Rowntree, J. K.; Lawton, K. F.; Rumsey, F. J.; Sheffield, E. (2003). "Exposure to Asulox Inhibits the Growth of Mosses". Annals of Botany. 92 (4): 547–556.