The systematic position of puzzling Sino-Himalayan Lophocolea sikkimensis (Lophocoleaceae, Marchantiophyta) is identified

By

Bakalin, Vadim
Maltseva, Yulia
Klimova, Ksenia Gennadyevna
Nguyen, Van Sinh
Seung Se, Choi
Troitsky, Aleksey

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2022

Original Publication

PhytoKeys

Volume

206

Pages

1--24

Subjects

Lophocolea , Lophocoleaceae , molecular phylogenetic , Sino-Himalaya , taxonomy , Vietnam

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers [2010]-

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.206.84227

 

Abstract

Lophocolea sikkimensis, a little-known Sino-Himalayan species, was collected in North Vietnam and its taxonomic position was identified by molecular genetic techniques. The species is characterized by generally narrowly pointed leaves, which are not seen in other representatives of Lophocoleaceae. We found that it belongs to the recently described genus Cryptolophocolea, although it is clearly morphologically dissimilar to other members of the genus. We propose a corresponding nomenclature combination: Cryptolophocolea sikkimensis comb. nov. This species is the only one in its genus with a predominantly Sino-Himalayan distribution; the vast majority of congeners are distributed in the Southern Hemisphere (mostly in Australasia). Reports of this species in Vietnam further confirm the close phytogeographic relationships of the flora of northern Indochina with those of the Sino-Himalayas and suggest that this species is found in other parts of the Hoang Lien Range and the southern Hengduan Range.