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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...
