Sphagnum austinii

Description:

Plant yellow-green to deep purple-brown; branches imbricate, branch leaves cross-section with chlorophyllous cells exposed on concave surface; chlorophyllous cells equilateral triangular with vertical comb lamellae where hyaline cells overlap; stem brown; stem cortical cells with spiral reinforcing fibrils; stem leaf cells with fibrils.

Habitat:

Basin bog. wet site 20' from edge of lake. forming hummock - 40 cm tall. Associated species: Sphagnum subnitens on the bottom of hummock, Kalmia microphylla, Tsuga heterophylla, oxycoccous oxycoccous

Notes:

This is a species common to raised and blanket bogs. In the NE Pacific, it occurs from Alaska to Washington. This is a critically imperiled species for the state of washington.