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Sphagnum capillifolium

(Ehrh.) Hedw.

Northern Peatmoss

G5Secure Found in 12 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.124162
Element CodeNBMUS6Z050
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryNonvascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumBryophyta
ClassSphagnopsida
OrderSphagnales
FamilySphagnaceae
GenusSphagnum
Synonyms
Sphagnum capillaceum(Weiss.) SchrankSphagnum nemoreumScopoli
Other Common Names
sphagnum (EN) Sphaigne grêle (FR)
Concept Reference
Anderson, L.E. 1990. A checklist of Sphagnum in North America north of Mexico. The Bryologist 93(4):500-501.
Taxonomic Comments
This record is for the narrow treatment of Sphagnum capillifolium following FNA (vol. 27, 2007) and Brinda and Atwood (2026), excluding S. sitchense and S. subtile as distinct species. In contrast, Buck and Goffinet (2024) include S. sitchense and S. subtile in S. capillifolium (following Imwattana et al. 2024).
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2015-06-26
Change Date1990-01-08
Range Extent Comments
Known from Greenland; Alta., B.C., Man., N.B., Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.), N.W.T., N.S., Nunavut, Ont., P.E.I., Que., Sask., Yukon; Alaska, Calif., Conn., Idaho, Ill., Ind., Ky., Maine, Mass., Mich., Minn., Mont., Ohio, Oreg., Pa., R.I., S. Dak., Tenn., Vt., Va., Wash., W.Va., Wyo.; Europe (FNA vol. 27, 2007).
Threat Impact Comments
Somewhat threatened by land-use conversion, habitat fragmentation, forest management practices, and sedimentation (Southern Appalachian Species Viability Project 2002).
Ecology & Habitat
Other Nations (2)
United StatesNNR
ProvinceRankNative
KentuckySNRYes
MissouriS2Yes
GeorgiaSNRYes
PennsylvaniaS4Yes
MontanaSNRYes
MinnesotaSNRYes
MaineSNRYes
TennesseeS1Yes
VermontS5Yes
South DakotaSNRYes
North CarolinaS1Yes
WashingtonSNRYes
WisconsinS4Yes
West VirginiaSNRYes
MichiganSNRYes
MassachusettsSNRYes
IllinoisSNRYes
WyomingSNRYes
OhioSNRYes
New JerseyS2Yes
IndianaSNRYes
AlaskaSNRYes
VirginiaS4Yes
CaliforniaSNRYes
OregonSNRYes
Rhode IslandSNRYes
ConnecticutSNRYes
IdahoSNRYes
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
OntarioS5Yes
NunavutSUYes
Yukon TerritoryS5Yes
New BrunswickS5Yes
Nova ScotiaS5Yes
QuebecS5Yes
British ColumbiaS4Yes
Island of NewfoundlandS4Yes
ManitobaS4Yes
Northwest TerritoriesS4Yes
LabradorS4Yes
Prince Edward IslandS3Yes
AlbertaS4Yes
SaskatchewanS5Yes
Plant Characteristics
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (12)
Alaska (3)
AreaForestAcres
Behm IslandsTongass National Forest4,777
College FiordChugach National Forest1,130,818
Nellie JuanChugach National Forest713,697
New Hampshire (3)
AreaForestAcres
Kinsman MountainWhite Mountain National Forest8,999
PemigewassetWhite Mountain National Forest32,255
Pemigewasset ExtWhite Mountain National Forest15,840
Oregon (4)
AreaForestAcres
Bull Of The WoodsMt. Hood National Forest8,843
Maiden PeakDeschutes National Forest26,432
Maiden PeakWillamette National Forest9,627
Waldo - LakeWillamette National Forest2,993
Vermont (1)
AreaForestAcres
Griffith Lake 09084Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests1,833
West Virginia (1)
AreaForestAcres
Canaan LoopMonongahela National Forest7,867
References (6)
  1. Anderson, L.E. 1990. A checklist of <i>Sphagnum </i>in North America north of Mexico. The Bryologist 93(4):500-501.
  2. Brinda, J.C., and J.J. Atwood. 2026. A Synopsis of <i>Sphagnum</i>. The Bryophyte Nomenclator. Online. Available: https://www.bryonames.org/synonymy?search=Sphagnum (accessed 2026).
  3. Buck, W.R. and B. Goffinet. 2024. A new checklist of the mosses of the continental United States and Canada. The Bryologist 127(4): 484-549.
  4. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2007b. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 27. Bryophytes: Mosses, Part 1. Oxford University Press, New York. xxi + 713 pp.
  5. Imwattana, K., B. Aguero, M. Nieto-Lugilde, A. Duffy; J. Jaramillo-Chico, K. Hassel, O. Afonina, P. Lamkowski, and A.J. Shaw. 2024. Parallel patterns of genetic diversity and structure in circumboreal species of the <i>Sphagnum capillifolium </i>complex. American<br/>Journal of Botany 111(5): 1-16.
  6. Southern Appalachian Species Viability Project. 2002. A partnership between the U.S. Forest Service-Region 8, Natural Heritage Programs in the Southeast, NatureServe, and independent scientists to develop and review data on 1300+ regionally and locally rare species in the Southern Appalachian and Alabama region. Database (Access 97) provided to the U.S. Forest Service by NatureServe, Durham, North Carolina.