Sphagnopsida

Sphagnopsida is a class of mosses that includes a single subclass Sphagnidae, with two orders. It is estimated it originated about 465 million years ago, along with Takakia. The order Sphagnales contains four living genera: Ambuchanania, Eosphagnum, and Flatbergium, which counts four species in total, and Sphagnum which contains the rest of the species. The extinct Protosphagnales contains a single fossil species.

Protosphagnum nervatum is the only known species of order Protosphagnales. It is only known from the Permian fossil record. In many ways, it resembles the living moss genus Sphagnum, though its leaf cells are not as strongly dimorphic as in Sphagnum.

REDIRECT Protosphagnum