sphag·num

(sfăg′nəm)

Any of various mosses of the genus Sphagnum of wet acidic areas, having long fibrous leafy stems, the decomposed remains of which form a type of peat.

[New Latin, from Latin sphagnos, a kind of moss, from Greek, a kind of shrub.]

sphag′nous adj.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

sphagnum

(ˈsfæɡnəm)

n, pl -na

(Plants) any moss of the genus Sphagnum, of temperate bogs, having leaves capable of holding much water: layers of these mosses decay to form peat. Also called: peat moss or bog moss

[C18: from New Latin, from Greek sphagnos a variety of moss]

ˈsphagnous adj

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

sphag•num

(ˈsfæg nəm)

n.

any spongy moss of the genus Sphagnum, occurring chiefly in bogs: used for potting and packing plants.

[1745–55; < New Latin, alter. of Greek sphágnos a moss]

sphag′nous, adj.

sphag·num

(sfăg′nəm)

Any of various grayish mosses that grow in swamps and bogs and decompose to form peat.

The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

sphagnum - any of various pale or ashy mosses of the genus Sphagnum whose decomposed remains form peat

bog moss, peat moss, sphagnum moss

moss - tiny leafy-stemmed flowerless plants

genus Sphagnum - a large genus constituting the order Sphagnales: atypical mosses of temperate bogs with leaves that can hold much water

Translations

sphaigne

sphagnum

[ˈsfægnəm] N → esfagno m

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

sphagnum

n → Torf- or Bleichmoos nt

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

Botany cannot go farther than tell me the names of the shrubs which grow there--the high blueberry, panicled andromeda, lambkill, azalea, and rhodora--all standing in the quaking sphagnum. I often think that I should like to have my house front on this mass of dull red bushes, omitting other flower plots and borders, transplanted spruce and trim box, even graveled walks--to have this fertile spot under my windows, not a few imported barrowfuls of soil only to cover the sand which was thrown out in digging the cellar.

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Since taking on the farm five years ago, upland ditches have been filled in to allow water levels to rise, helping to regenerate sphagnum and replenish peat bogs, an important carbon store.

The first farmers to be truly green

However, the differences in fitness are not always associated with genetic differences, such as the case with tolerance of sulfur compounds in the Sphagnum of the Southern Pennines (Lee and Studholme 1992), so local adaptation can be difficult to detect in Sphagnum.

Source Locality Effects on Restoration Potential in Sphagnum palustre L. from 3 Ohio Sites

The most common micro-landscape consists of hummocks and hollows formed by Sphagnum species (Namateva 2012).

Carbon accumulation rate in a raised bog in Latvia, NE Europe, in relation to climate warming

Next, wrap the fern's exposed roots in moist sphagnum moss, and cover with a pouch of breathable plastic mesh.

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A letter in the Observer explained how work had been going on in Bridge of Allan both to collect sphagnum moss for dressings and gather, repair and dispatch clothing for troops.

Thanks to ladies who aided POWs; Big operation to supply lifeline parcels

They are being restored by the Trust to create areas of sphagnum moss to attract wildlife and to capture and store carbon.

Hare and fox hunt

Pop in a couple of pieces of charcoal to keep it smelling sweet then add a layer of sphagnum moss to stop soil washing into the gladioli blooms pesky thrips - tiny insects that feed plants and spoil flowers.

How to plant a terrarium; Gardening

We took it home and planted it on a bed of sphagnum moss.

Amazing recovery of venus flytrap; LETTERS Get in touch - tell us what you think Email: letters@coventrytelegraph.net Twitter: @coventrytelegraph Facebook: facebook.com/coventrytelegraph Post: Coventry Telegraph, Leicester Row, Canal Basin, Coventry, CV1 4LY

For gardeners with concerns about the overuse of peat, an alternative potting medium would be five parts sphagnum moss, three parts horticultural sand and two parts perlite.

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