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Sphagnum riparium
The stem leaves with an obvious tear and the irregular to elliptic, large apical pore of the branch leaf hyaline cells are characteristics of this species. Living plants are easily identified by the large apical bud. Branch fascicles are usually sparsely positioned along the stem, thus the characteristic stem laves are easily seen with a hand lens.
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| Habit | Large, yellow-green plants forming loose canopies, apical bud very conspicuous, 1-2 pendent branches visible between capitulum arms. |
| Stems | clear, without hyalodernis. |
| Leaves | ovate-lanceolate, with minutely truncate at apex; stem leaves large, broadly lanceolate, with a single longitudinal resorption-tear to about mid leaf. |
| Leaf Cells | hyaline cells with a conspicuous oval irregularly-shaped pore at apex on convex surface, additional pores either none, a second central pore just beneath the apical one, or with some rounded pores only in the cell corners, several very inconspicuous rounded central pores on the concave surface; green cells triangular, exposed on convex surface. |
| Alar Cells | |
| Habitat | Forming carpets in mesotrophic pools, especially prevalent in internal lawns and recent collapse scars, and patterned poor fens where local nutrient inputs are evident. Sphagnum riparium is an early colonizer of wet, disturbed sites across the boreal, but becomes infrequent farther north. |
| Common Associates | Often found with S. majus, S. jensenii, S. fallax, and S. angustifolium. |
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