A. Photomicrograph (10x) of a longitudinal section of an antheridial branch showing the leaves and antheridia. B. Photomicrograph of leaves. 10x.
C. View of Sphagnum in a bog in southwestern Canada.
This Order is recognized as the most primitive of the mosses. The sporophyte is extremely reduced in that it lacks a seta. The capsule, a characteristic element, is spherical and bears an operculum but lacks a peristome. There is a single Family and Genus with about 350 species.
Familiar common names for the Genus are bog moss, turf or peat moss. These plants are aquatic or semiaquatic and grow in dense masses in swamps, ponds or lake margins. Certain acids are liberated during growth and cause the water to become acidic (ranging from a pH of 3.7 to 4.8). This creates conditions unfavorable to Fungi and Bacteria. Thus the decay of dead tissue is greatly retarded and makes for favorable bog conditions.
A. Photomicrograph (10x) of a longitudinal section of an antheridial branch showing the leaves and antheridia. B. Photomicrograph of leaves. 10x.
C. View of Sphagnum in a bog in southwestern Canada.
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