Sphagnum capillifolium

Sphagnum capillifolium
Small red peat moss in Lake Superior Provincial Park
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Bryophyta
Class: Sphagnopsida
Order: Sphagnales
Family: Sphagnaceae
Genus: Sphagnum
Species:
S. capillifolium
Binomial name
Sphagnum capillifolium
Synonyms
  • S. palustre var. capillifolium Ehrh.
  • S. acutifolium var. capillifolium (Ehrh.) Funck
  • S. nemoreum

Sphagnum capillifolium, the red bogmoss, northern peat moss, acute-leaved bog-moss, or small red peat moss, is a species of peat moss native to Canada, the northern United States, Greenland, and Europe. Small red peat moss can be distinguished by its sweeping, outward-curving branches that resemble tresses. Sphagnum moss can hold large amounts of water within its cells, up to 20 times its own weight. This capability is due to its dead, empty cells called hyaline cells that fill up with water. This allows the moss to survive in wet, boggy habitats around rivers and lakes.