Sphagnum ones ("Rigida" and "Squarrosa") has been clarified using molecular phylogenetics. All but two species normally identified as "Sphagnum" reside in one clade; two other species have recently been separated into new families within the Sphagnales reflecting an ancestral relationship with the Tasmanian endemic "Ambuchanania" and long phylogenetic distance to the rest of "Sphagnum". Within main clade of "Sphagnum", phylogenetic distance is relatively short, and molecular dating methods suggest nearly all current "Sphagnum" species are descended from a radiation that occurred just 14 million years ago. "Sphagnum" mosses occur mainly in the Northern Hemisphere in peat bogs, conifer forests, and moist
Sphagnum fuscum a short stalk of around 1-2mm, with a brown capsule of about 1-1.5mm. "Sphagnum fuscum" prefers older, drier bogs to inhabit and will formulate hummocks in such conditions. In bogs dominated by black spruce, "S. fuscum" will form extensive ground cover. On average, "S. fuscum" inhabits more acidic soils with pH ranging from 3.6-7.5, and is also able to colonize at high elevations. The moss is circumpolar. "Sphagnum fuscum" faces endangerment across much of the globe. Due to reductions in wetlands and development of these areas, the moss is referred to as “high risk” in Germany, while being on several