File:Sphagnum.flexuosum.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
Sphagnum
Sign in to saveAlso known as peat moss, sphagnum moss, bog moss, quacker moss
Sphagnum is a genus of approximately 380 accepted species of mosses, commonly known as sphagnum moss, also bog moss and quacker moss (although that term is also sometimes used for peat). Accumulations of Sphagnum can store water, since both living and dead plants can hold large quantities of water inside their cells; plants may hold 16 to 26 times as much water as their dry weight, depending on the species. The empty cells help retain water in drier conditions.
OverviewAI-generated
Sphagnum is a genus within the family Sphagnaceae. It belongs to the class Sphagnopsida, order Sphagnales, and phylum Bryophyta in the kingdom Plantae. The taxon has the common names sphagnum, Veenmos, and 泥炭藓属, with Sphagnum palustre serving as its taxonomic type. Its scientific name is Sphagnum L., and it is described in the Nordisk familjebok.
The genus is accepted in the WoRMS database and is associated with freshwater habitats. Records indicate its presence in the United States, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and Canada. Institutions holding records include CHSC, IBUNAM, LSU, WCUH, and CMN. The subject has 1,275,854 occurrences and 8,134 records, with 2,643 media items available.
Synthesized by Vinony from 39 facts across 7 sources: Wikidata, GBIF, iNaturalist, Gbif Occ, WoRMS, iDigBio, Vinony graph. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.
Species
Lichen Agaric
Sphagnum
GENUS
- KingdomPlantae
- PhylumBryophyta
- ClassSphagnopsida
- OrderSphagnales
- FamilySphagnaceae
via GBIF
Museum specimens
- Specimen records
- 8,134
- With media
- 2,643
- Family
- Sphagnaceae
- Collections
- CHSC, IBUNAM, LSU, WCUH, CMN, UWW
- Recorded in
- United States, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Canada, Indonesia, India
~17 min read
Encyclopedic overview
12 sectionsContents
- Description
- Lifecycle
- Spore dispersal
- Taxonomy
- Distribution
- Conservation
- Chile
- Europe
- New Zealand
- Uses
- References
- External links
Sphagnum is a genus of approximately 380 accepted species of mosses, commonly known as sphagnum moss, also bog moss and quacker moss (although that term is also sometimes used for peat). Accumulations of Sphagnum can store water, since both living and dead plants can hold large quantities of water inside their cells; plants may hold 16 to 26 times as much water as their dry weight, depending on the species. The empty cells help retain water in drier conditions.
As Sphagnum moss grows, it can slowly spread into drier conditions, forming larger mires, both raised bogs and blanket bogs. Thus, Sphagnum can influence the composition of such habitats, with some describing Sphagnum as 'habitat manipulators' or 'autogenic ecosystem engineers'. These peat accumulations then provide habitat for a wide array of peatland plants, including sedges and ericaceous shrubs, as well as orchids and carnivorous plants.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Sphagnum” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.