The Sphagnaceae family, represented by the genus Sphagnum, plays a key ecological role in wetland ecosystems, particularly in water retention and carbon sequestration. Despite its importance, spore morphology, a critical trait for taxonomy and dispersal, remains understudied in Brazilian species. This study analyzed the spore morphology, including ultrasculpture, of 13 Brazilian Sphagnum species using light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The objective was to determine if these features can distinguish the subgenera Acutifolia, Cuspidata, Sphagnum, and Subsecunda. Spores treated with acetolysis were isomorphic, heteropolar, bilaterally symmetrical, and tetrahedral plano-convex, ranging from 21.9 to 57.1 µm in size. Perine ornamentation varied: Acutifolia had densely granulate surfaces, Cuspidata showed psilate to granulate patterns, while Subsecunda and some Sphagnum species had sparsely granulate surfaces. To quantify morphological differentiation among subgenera, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied and revealed that spore size and laesura length explained most morphological variation (75.51%), while sexine and nexine thickness formed a secondary group (19.28%). Subgenera formed distinct morphological clusters, except for Sphagnum, which showed internal variability. These findings demonstrate the taxonomic value of spore traits and provide the first comprehensive palynological dataset for Brazilian species, contributing significantly to the palynotaxonomy of Sphagnum and addressing a gap in bryophyte research.
Gonçalves et al. (Fri,) studied this question.
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