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Plant very stiff and robust, and moderately large green capitulum with prominent terminal bud, lower branches and stem dark brown - black, metallic sheen; Fascicles with 3-4 divergent often up-turned and stiff, occasionally with one divergent branch with exceptionally long leaves, up to 5 mm long; branch leaves with numerous pores along the commisures of convex side, chlorophyllous cells eilliptic-triangular exposed entirely on concave side; stem leaf often tapered in at mid-point, with lacerate apex usually less than the width of the end of the leaf, cells aporose, and without fibrils, septate to 4 times.
Roadside ditch alongside many different sphagnum species. elevation: 3000'
This specimen is unfimiliar to me. It is most similar to S. girgensohnii or S. russowii, but also very different from them.
2 Comments
Thanks Jellis for thinking about it. It is indeed S. girgensohnii. I just got some confirmation. It is definately an anomaly though for the species. The typical S. girgensohnii has fewer pendant spreading branches and more pendant ones. Also, the spreading branches in this specimen are very short and stiff, where the typical S. girgensohnii are very long and weak.
Could it be the same as your http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/254...