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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)
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
LabradorS4Yes
Northwest TerritoriesS4Yes
Prince Edward IslandS3Yes
New BrunswickS5Yes
Island of NewfoundlandS4Yes
QuebecS5Yes
OntarioS5Yes
Nova ScotiaS5Yes
AlbertaS4Yes
British ColumbiaS4Yes
NunavutSUYes
SaskatchewanS5Yes
Yukon TerritoryS5Yes
ManitobaS4Yes
United StatesNNR
ProvinceRankNative
MassachusettsSNRYes
PennsylvaniaS4Yes
MissouriS2Yes
ConnecticutSNRYes
WashingtonSNRYes
MontanaSNRYes
AlaskaSNRYes
North CarolinaS1Yes
New JerseyS2Yes
IdahoSNRYes
OhioSNRYes
VirginiaS4Yes
MichiganSNRYes
South DakotaSNRYes
Rhode IslandSNRYes
TennesseeS1Yes
CaliforniaSNRYes
OregonSNRYes
IndianaSNRYes
GeorgiaSNRYes
MaineSNRYes
WyomingSNRYes
WisconsinS4Yes
MinnesotaSNRYes
VermontS5Yes
KentuckySNRYes
West VirginiaSNRYes
IllinoisSNRYes
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.