Sphagnum kenaiense

Plants small and weak-stemmed; grows sprawling in lawns; pale brown to golden brown; capitulum flat-topped and only weakly 5-radiate. Stems pale yellow; stem cortex moderately well-differentiated but not much enlarged. Stem leaves appressed to stem or somewhat spreading; lingulate, ovate, to triangular; equal to or less than 0.9 mm; apex obtuse and often erose to lacerate. Branches with leaves unranked to 5-ranked, leaves not much elongated at distal branch tip. Branch fascicles with 2 spreading and 2-3 pendent branches. Branch leaves ovate, 1.1-1.3 mm long, stiff, weakly undulate and slightly recurved when dry; hyaline cells in mid region quite short and broad, 3.3-2.5:1, in basal ¹/2 of leaf on convex surface often with 1 large pore apically and/or up to 6 free pores, in apical region often with pseudopores along the cell margins; on concave surface with large round wall-thinnings in the cell ends and angles (these sometimes faint or absent); chlorophyllose cells triangular in transverse section and typically well-enclosed on concave surface. Sexuality unknown.

Lawns and hollows, typically in sedgey weakly minerotrophic fens; low to moderate elevations; Alaska.