The first report of Haplomitrium gibbsiae (Steph.) R.M. Schust. (Haplomitriaceae) from Guangxi, China

By

Han, Wei
Luo, Haifeng
Li, Yuqing
Li, Nanqiang
Tan, Fei
Huang, Xiangju
He, Qiang

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2025-6-12

Original Publication

Biodiversity data journal

Volume

13

Pages

1--14

Subjects

Biogeography , China , Haplomitrium gibbsiae , Liverworts , new record

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia Pensoft Publishers [2013]-

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.13.e155213

 

Abstract

The liverwort genus Haplomitrium, first described by Nees in 1833, is the basal sister group to all other liverworts. It exhibits distinctive traits, including upright shoots, radial leaf arrangement, abundant mucilage and the absence of rhizoids, reflecting its non-vascular nature. Predominantly found in the Southern Hemisphere, specifically Australasia, the genus comprises seven species and two infraspecific taxon globally, with China recording three species — H. blumei, H. mnioides and H. hookeri. These features and its distribution underscore its significance in studying early terrestrial flora.<br> The liverwort species Haplomitrium gibbsiae (Steph.) R.M. Schust., previously considered endemic to Gondwanan regions, has been documented in East Asia for the first time during a floristic survey in the Jiuwanshan National Nature Reserve, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. This discovery expands the known range of the species and, when combined with prior hypotheses, suggests a potential dispersal pathway: following the fragmentation of Gondwana, H. gibbsiae may have spread to India and South America and subsequently from India to East Asia via the Himalayas, resulting in its present-day global distribution. Additionally, based on extensive literature review, the present study discusses the species’ retention of primitive traits and considers its potential as a candidate for future research, aimed at deepening our understanding of early land plant evolution.