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Sphagnum is a genus of approximately 380 accepted species [2] [3] of mosses, commonly known as sphagnum moss, also bog moss and quacker moss (although that term is also sometimes used for peat). Accumulations of Sphagnum can store water, since both living and dead plants can hold large quantities of water inside their cells; plants may hold 16 ...
[1] [2] Sphagnum moss, also called peat moss, is one of the most common components in peat, although many other plants can contribute. The biological features of sphagnum mosses act to create a habitat aiding peat formation, a phenomenon termed 'habitat manipulation'. [3] Soils consisting primarily of peat are known as histosols.
Sphagnum has also been used historically for medicinal purposes. The moss itself has antimicrobial properties, and was therefore used as an effective filler for wounds to prevent infection. It also retains large amounts of moisture, which was quite useful in keeping the skin around a wound moist to prevent tissue death.
Sphagnum is also used to decorate hanging baskets, as a packing material in the shipping industry, and in some parts of Africa it is even used to pad cushions and mattresses. Since the moss is capable of holding many times its weight in water, it is useful as a potting material for new plants since it provides consistent moisture.
Sphagnum rubellum, commonly known as the red peat moss, [1] is a species of peat moss in the family Sphagnaceae. It forms low, reddish cushions in wet areas like bogs and poor fens across North America and Eurasia, particularly in regions with oceanic climates. The species can vary in colour from green to pink or deep crimson, and grows up to ...
Sphagnum teres, or rigid bogmoss, is a species of moss from the Sphagnaceae family. Widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere, it grows in mountainous areas in the southern part of its range. It thrives in fertile, minerotrophic peatlands. It is characterized by a clearly visible terminal bud in the middle part of the head and usually a ...
Sphagnum fimbriatum As of November 2024 [update] , World Flora Online accepts 292 species in the peat-moss genus Sphagnum , along with 506 synonyms and 24 unplaced. [ 1 ]
Sphagnum wulfianum, commonly known as Wulf's peatmoss, is a species of moss belonging to the family Sphagnaceae. It has a circumboreal distribution, occurring primarily in moist boreal forest environments across Eurasia and North America, with rare occurrences in Arctic tundra regions.