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Sphagnum rubellum

Wils.

Red Peatmoss

G5Secure Found in 8 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.123703
Element CodeNBMUS6Z1Z0
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 var. tenellum(Schimp.) AndrewsSphagnum capillifolium var. tenellum(Schimp.) Andrews
Other Common Names
sphagnum (EN) Sphaigne grêle (FR) Sphaigne rougeâtre (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 rubellum following FNA (vol. 27, 2007), excluding S. andersonianum, S. bartlettianum, and S. wilfii. In contrast, both Buck and Goffinet (2024) and Brinda and Atwood (2026) include S. andersonianum in S. rubellum. The S. rubellum concept of Buck and Goffinet (2024) also includes S. bartlettianum and S. wilfii. The treatment of S. rubellum in Brinda and Atwood (2026) is different, with S. rubellum, S. bartlettianum and S. wilfii maintained as distinct species.
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2015-04-17
Change Date1991-05-01
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
Northwest TerritoriesS4Yes
QuebecS5Yes
SaskatchewanS3Yes
Prince Edward IslandS4Yes
NunavutSUYes
Nova ScotiaS5Yes
British ColumbiaS4Yes
Island of NewfoundlandS5Yes
LabradorS4Yes
Yukon TerritoryS5Yes
OntarioS5Yes
ManitobaSUYes
New BrunswickS5Yes
United StatesNNR
ProvinceRankNative
MarylandSNRYes
VirginiaS2Yes
VermontS5Yes
Rhode IslandSNRYes
IndianaSNRYes
MinnesotaSNRYes
North CarolinaS2Yes
PennsylvaniaS2Yes
WisconsinS4Yes
New YorkSNRYes
ConnecticutSNRYes
New HampshireSNRYes
MassachusettsSNRYes
IllinoisSNRYes
New JerseySNRYes
WashingtonSNRYes
MaineSNRYes
MichiganSNRYes
AlaskaSNRYes
OhioSNRYes
Plant Characteristics
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (8)
Alaska (1)
AreaForestAcres
LindenbergTongass National Forest25,855
Georgia (1)
AreaForestAcres
Sarah's CreekChattahoochee National Forest6,888
Maine (1)
AreaForestAcres
Caribou - Speckled ExtWhite Mountain National Forest5,988
New Hampshire (2)
AreaForestAcres
Kinsman MountainWhite Mountain National Forest8,999
Pemigewasset ExtWhite Mountain National Forest15,840
West Virginia (3)
AreaForestAcres
Cranberry AdditionMonongahela National Forest11,123
Cranberry Glades Botanical AreaMonongahela National Forest785
Falls Of Hills CreekMonongahela National Forest6,925
References (5)
  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. 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.