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MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK NATURE NOTES
Vol. XVII March - June - 1939 Nos. 1 & 2


Individual Descriptions of the Species and
Varieties of Mosses of Mt. Rainier Nat'l Park

-oOo-

Acrocarpous Mosses

Order I - Sphagnales

Peat Moss Family (Sphagnaceae)

This family of mosses is represented on Mt. Rainier by three species which were collected by the author, namely Sphagnum fuscum Klingg., S. Warnstorfii Russ, and S. Girghensohnii Russ; also two species, namely, S. teres and S. robustum, reported by Dr. G. B. Rigg (Mt. Rainier Nature Notes, Vol. XIII, No. 1, March 1, 1955). Only the three species collected by the author are keyed and described below. All belong to the acute-leaved Sphagnums (Acutifolia).

1-Stem leaves with lacerate fringe at the apex...S. Girghensohnii.
1-Stem leaves usually dentate at apex...2.
  2-Branch leaves curved when dry; erect-spreading; pores of branch leaves small ...S. Warnstorfii.
  2-Branch leaves densely imbricate; wood cylinder brown ...S. Fuscum.

Sphagnum Girghensohnii Russ (Plate IX, Fig. 1) was collected at Snow Lake. It is a rather small form with narrow linguiform stem leaves having upper margins fringed.

S. Warnstorfii Russ occurs abundantly in the levels of wet meadows above Lake Louise. Like S. Girghensohnii, it is rather small but distinguished from it by the more dentate nature of the stem leaves.

S. fuscum Klingg was collected near Longmire. It is a more robust form than the two foregoing species, and is distinguished also by the brown wood cylinder.


Order II - Andreaeales

Rock Moss Family (Andreaeaceae)

This family is represented by one genus on Mt. Rainier, although representatives are common on the rock slopes above the Canadian Zone.

Key to Species

1-Leaves costate ...2.
1-Leaves ecostate; leaves surrounding the reproductive organs larger than stem leaves; costa weak at leaf base ...A. Blytii.
  2-Leaves fiddle-shaped (panduriform) ...A. Petrophila.
  2-Leaves not fiddle-shaped (panduriform) ...A. rupestris.

Andreaea Blytii (Bry Eur.) is a short plant, not over 1 cm. in height, and brown or black in color. The costa is flat and weak below. Collected on Ramparts Ridge Trail.

A. petrophila Ehrh is one of the most common on rock mosses. Its lack of a costa will serve to keep one from confusing it with the Grimmias or Orthotrichums. The fiddle-shaped (panduriform) nature of the leaf will separate it from A. rupestris. Found abundantly at the summit of Eagle Peak. It is illustrated on Plate IX, Fig. 3.

A. rupestris Hedw., is very similar to the foregoing species in that its leaves lack costa, but differs in that its leaves are not panduriform. It forms reddish-brown to black cushions below Eagle Peak and on upper Skyline Trail.


Descriptions continued...

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01-Aug-2002