At a glance
Essentials
- Size
- Shoots 20–30 cm tall were recorded in the study of a peatland in Hubei; this measurement is specific to that location. The range may vary with age, sex and population.
- Distribution
- The records provided include a peatland in Hubei, China, and a peatland ecological site in the mountains of the northeastern United States; these locations alone do not define its full distribution.
- Habitat
- Documented in a peatland in Hubei, China, on acidic peat or humus-rich substrate with the surface saturated or flooded; it is also listed among the species at a peaty site in the northeastern United States.
Ecology
Description and characteristics
Sphagnum palustre is a peatland moss in the family Sphagnaceae. In a peatland studied at Taishanmiao, Hubei Province, China, it grew on acidic peat or humus-rich substrate, with the surface permanently saturated or flooded. At that site, it reached 20–30 cm in height and up to 95% cover; these measurements apply to the study site and are not general values for the species.
In an experiment comparing several species under submergence and at different pH levels, S. palustre maintained stable photosynthesis and photoprotection across the levels tested. This result describes its response under the experimental conditions, not necessarily in all of its natural environments.