Sphagnum subfulvumSjörs in Ireland compared with the occurrences in Norway

The discovery of Sphagnum subfulvum in Western Ireland is reported and the Irish specimens are described. The habitat of the species at Errisbeg, Co. Galway, is described and compared with the occurrences in Norway. It is concluded that the ecology of S. subfulvum at Errisbeg closely resembles its ecology in Norway where it is an intermediate/rich fen species, and in the ‘mud-bottomto hummock’ vegetational gradient it belongs to lawn and low hummock vegetation. The occurrence of Sphagnum subfulvum on flushed mountain slopesin West Mayo is apparently related to localised basic conditions as indicated by its association with Schoenus nigricans, Anagallis tenella, Selaginella selaginoides and Breutelia chrysocoma. Sphagnum subfulvum is reported from raised bog in Co. Roscommon. Its occurrence in ombrotrophic vegetation is somewhat unexpected but the ombrotrophic vegetation in Western Ireland includes some species which are restricted to minerotrophic vegetation elsewhere.