The content of the contributions to this volume is diverse, and deals with morphology,
taxonomy, distribution, and ecology of bryophytes.
During the last 20 years much attention has been given to the
morphology, development, and phylogeny of the
liverwort Treubia, which occupies a pivotal position as one of
the lineages in the first diverging clade in phylogenetic
reconstructions of the Marchantiophyta.
The important patterns
of spore germination and sporeling development, while known for such
genera as Haplomitrium, Fossombronia
and Monoclea, had heretofore not been studied in
Treubia. Crandall-Stotler & Bartholomew-Began (p. 57–66) found
that, in fact, the early stages of sporeling ontogeny of Treubia
resemble those of these three genera, but that there are considerable
developmental differences among the taxa beyond the nine-celled stage
of the sporelings. The early stages of germination and sporeling
development, as well as apical cell formation, are nicely illustrated
with line drawings and scanning electron micrographs. Molecular data
helped to uncover or elucidate several unattended problems in various
taxonomic groups and ranks. In one of them (Larraín et
al.,p. 97–108), they were necessary even to suggest correctly the
familial placement of a moss newly discovered in the Andes Mountains
of central Chile and in the Falkland Islands. The extremely reduced
morphology in both sporophytic and gametophytic traits could perhaps
only unequivocally assign the species to the subclass Dicranidae, but
molecular data convincingly pointed towards the poorly understood
family Rhabdoweisiaceae. The authors provide a very useful and
detailed analysis of the genera currently assigned to the family, and
established a new genus, Notocynodontium, for their new
peculiar moss. Two of the papers touched on generic
delimitations: Kučera & Hedenäs (p. 165–178) revisited the
genus Campyliadelphus and found that while the type
species, C. chrysophyllus, should be merged with the
genus Campylium, another currently accepted species,
C. elodes has stronger affinities with Cratoneuron
and Palustriella, necessitating the erection of a new
genus, Kandaea, for C. elodes, and honouring thus the
author, Hiroshi Kanda, who contributed significantly to the knowledge
of Campylium-like species in the 1970s. Kučera et
al. (p. 273–292) investigated the molecular affinities of two
pottiaceous species recently recorded in Asian
Russia, Bryoerythrophyllum sollmanianum and Tortula
yuennanensis, and found again, how deceiving the superficial
morphological similarities can be: While the latter species was found
deeply nested in Bryoerythrophyllum and had to be combined into
that genus (albeit with a new
name, B. chenii), B. sollmanianum was found completely
unrelated to the rest of Bryoerythrophyllum taxa, and a new
genus, Pararhexophyllum, had to be described for it,
acknowledging the molecular-phylogenetic affinities to the Central-
and South American monospecific genus, Rhexophyllum. Ignatov
et al. (p. 243–264), revisited a well-known genus,
Fontinalis, which, however, harbours a suite of taxa difficult
to delimit in both morphological and molecular way. Plants earlier
referable to F. antipyretica var. gracilis were found to
occur in two lineages; Asian specimens are referred to a resurrected
species, F. perfida, while the European and West-Asian plants
are retained a varietal rank within F. antipyretica, albeit with an
older name, F. antipyretica var. minor. The unresolved
relationships of some “small” taxa recognised by some authors and the
nested position of F. squamosa within F. antipyretica
s.str. awaits further taxonomic novelties in this group in the near
future.
Molecular data are also used to gain new insights into taxonomy and
systematics of liverworts.
Gradstein (p. 81–96) used both new molecular and morphological
results in his review of the changes of classification of Lejeuneaceae
genera in Tropical America since 2001. A major new classification was
published in 2013, which has been further refined thereafter. Six new
genera are described or resurrected while 24 genera are synonymized
with other genera or excluded from the Neotropics in this
period. Mamontov et al. (p. 201–242) used molecular methods to
investigate the systematic relationship within what used to be
named Frullania subsect. Inflatae and found that taxa
that previously were classified in the subsection were distributed
among three distinct lineages. The majority of species formed a clade
that they describe as a new subgenus, subg. Frullaniopsis. Four
species
(F. cleistostoma, F. saxicola, F. takayuensis
and F. wrightii) are resurrected, and three species
(F. austinii, F. neomexicana
and F. pseudoinflata) are described as new to
science. Aguero & Hassel (p. 317–324) clarify the systematic
position of the genus Lophochaete. Prior to the advent of molecular
studies, and based on detailed morphological studies, the genera
Pseudolepicolea and Lophochaete were often considered among the basal
lineages of leafy liverworts. To support that argument various authors
often stressed the simple plant architecture, in particular the
striking triradial symmetry of both the sterile plant and the
gynoecium. During this pre-molecular period, Pseudolepicolea and
Lophochaete> were often placed in the family Pseudolepicoleaceae or in
Blepharostomataceae. Moreover, some authors recognized both genera,
while others considered Lophochaete a synonym of Pseudolepicolea.
Molecular studies dramatically altered the disposition of these
genera: Pseudolepicolea was placed in the suborder Lophocoleineae, and
a species included in Lophochaete, L. trollii, was relegated to an
altogether different suborder, Jungermanniineae. The study of Aguero
and Hassel provides molecular data that show the phylogenetic position
of the type species of the genus Lophochaete (Lepicolea fryei),
providing evidence for recognizing Lophochaete as a genus (as a sister
lineage to Anthelia) within the family Antheliaceae of suborder
Jungermanniineae. Long & Crandall-Stotler (p. 109–116) describe a new
species of Marchantia (M. platycarpa) from China. The new species is
the third one in the newly recognized subgenus Preissia and the
authors compare it with the related M. quadrata that also occurs in SE
Asia. While M. platycarpa is only known from the type locality,
M. quadrata is widely distributed in the world with several new
localities reported here from the Sino-Himalayan region. Engel
(p. 265–272) deals with the presence, identity, and nomenclature
of the simple thalloid species Pallavicinia lyellii in the New
Zealand flora. This name had been used in the New Zealand literature
until R. M. Schuster in 1991 commented that New Zealand plants
regarded as Pallavicinia lyellii are not the
true P. lyellii, a plant from temperate-tropical
areas. Schuster introduced the name Pallavicinia pseudolyellii
for the New Zealand plants, but that name was invalidly published
according the ICBN. Engel here documents the differentiation between
these two Pallavicinia species and validates P. pseudolyellii, a plant
endemic to New Zealand.
Tamás Pócs devoted a considerable portion of the early years of his
long career on research dealing with the Asian representatives of
Bazzania, particularly of Vietnam. It is both interesting and
noteworthy that Pócs (p. 159–164) establishes that Bazzania
vietnamica, a plant that he described in 1969, is conspecific with
Bazzania aurescens Spruce of the Neotropics. At the same time
this provides another example of liverwort species with a tropical
Amphi-Pacific distribution. In addition, Pócs refines our knowledge
of Caribbean species of Bazzania, especially the B.
pycnophylla complex. The text is nicely buttressed by useful
photographic images of specimens.
There are four papers reporting on the occurrence and distributions of
bryophytes in areas from the Arctic, the Mediterranean, Sino-Himalaya
and the Tropics. Konstantinova & Savchenko (p. 179–192)
visited Prins Karls Forland on Svalbard and found 40 liverwort species
among the 200 specimens collected during the 10-day expedition. One
species, Lophozia fuscovirens, is reported as new for the whole
Svalbard Archipelago and the occurrence of one species, Saccobasis
polymorpha, that was earlier only reported with a question mark,
is confirmed. The bryophyte flora of the Balkans has been studied
intensively during the last decades. However, there are still many
areas that are poorly known. Papp et al. (p. 117–132) report
the results of a visit to Galičica National Park in North Macedonia,
the bryologically least known country in the Balkans. They found 179
taxa, out of which 21 are rare and of conservation importance. Some
areas in SE Asia, especially in Indochina, are bryofloristically
poorly known. Nele Ingerpuu visited Cambodia and made a small
collection and found seven liverwort species new to the country. Those
reports are included in the checklist of liverworts and hornworts for
the country (Ingerpuu et al. p. 293– 316). The list serves as a
basis for future studies of the country but includes only 138 species,
which is very low for a tropical country, indicating a significant
potential for new discoveries. Bai et al. (p. 193–200)
undertook to re-examine the geographic range of Porella pinnata, the
type species of Porella, one of the larger liverwort
genera. Specifically, the objective of their research was to evaluate
presence of P. pinnata in Asia. Previous reports of the species for
Asia were based on collections from China and India. Their thorough
study found that specimens previously reported as P. pinnata in China
are actually misidentifications of no less than seven other species of
the genus. Yang Bai et al. could not study material from India but
conclude that reports from there must be re-examined.
Piotr Górski, a passionate hepaticologist who spent an immense amount
of time in the last more than a decade in the cross-border,
Polish-Slovak mountain range Tatra Mountains, compiled a modern, IUCN
criteria-based Red List of liverworts recorded from this area
(Górski p. 67–80). Some 194 species were recorded, of which
only four are currently regarded regionally extinct, which is perhaps
the best proof of Piotr’s floristic activity and competence. Peterka
et al. (p. 133–158) analysed the vegetation affinities of four rare
“umbrella species” of rich fens across four European regions, the
Alps, Central Europe, the Baltic region and Fennoscandia. They found
that their sites were generally more nutrient-rich in Central Europe
and the Baltics, and that the Baltic sites also had higher pH. They
speculate that the partly different vegetation affinities of these
species in temperate Europe could be related to the more severe
habitat deterioration and competition pressure, leading to, e.g.,
increased nutrient availability or decreased habitat connectivity.