Sphagnum subsecundum Slender Cow-horn Bog-moss

A, small, dioicous bog-moss which is somewhat base-demanding and grows in nutrient-enriched  fens, soaks and flushes. The slender carpets are usually brightly coloured with golden-orange and yellow-green hues. The branches of the capitula curve inwards in typical cow-horn fashion but they are smaller than those of other cow-horn bog-mosses. The branch leaves are also small and the stem leaves are tiny. It is a Boreal-montane species with a scattered northern distribution in Britain. It is rather scarce overall and very rare in south Wales. Old pre-1980 records from Crymlyn Bog may refer to Sphagnum subsecundum sensu lato. Sporophyte capsules are rare.