Orthotrichumcamanchacanum, a remarkable new moss species from Chile (Bryopsida, Orthotrichaceae).

Orthotrichumcamanchacanum is presented as a newly described species from Chile. The species is primarily distinguished by its emergent capsule with cryptoporous stomata, a double peristome, linear-lanceolate stem leaves with a long hyaline aristae in apex, conspicuously differentiated perichaetial leaves, and a densely hairy vaginula. The species was discovered in the mountain massif of the Andes in the Coquimbo region, notable for its unique climatic conditions. Molecular data and a brief discussion comparing the newly described species with the most closely related taxa are also provided.

Temperature and Precipitation More Than Tree Cover Affect the Distribution Patterns of Epiphytic Mosses within the Orthotrichaceae Family in China and Adjacent Areas.

Epiphytes, including vascular and non-vascular, constitute a large part of global plant biodiversity. Distribution of obligatory epiphytic bryophytes results from climate and local habitat conditions. The most important epiphytic bryophytes and at the same time poorly investigated and taxonomically problematic ones belong to the family Orthotrichaceae. Epiphytic mosses are also ideal organisms for species modelling, because of having no roots, they are highly dependent on external environmental conditions. For this purpose, we used the ecological niche modelling approach to define their potential distribution in China and adjacent areas and explore factors that shape this distribution. We used 617 occurrence records of 23 species from six genera within the Orthotrichaceae family. Our results suggest that the distribution of members of the Orthotrichaceae family is predominantly affected by bioclimatic variables, especially bio10 (mean temperature of the warmest quarter), bio15 (precipitation seasonality), bio18 (precipitation of the warmest quarter), bio19 (precipitation of the coldest quarter), bio9 (mean temperature of the driest quarter), and bio2 (mean diurnal range). However, the distribution of particular genera is ruled by a different set of those variables. The distribution of two genera (Leratia and Ulota) is also highly influenced by land cover (especially mixed/other trees), whereas human footprint shows a moderate contribution to models of three genera (Lewinskya, Orthotrichum, Nyholmiella). Based on the occupied climatic niche and distribution patterns, representatives of the studied family are divided into two groups. The 'western-montane group' is characterised by lower temperatures and lower precipitation whereas the 'eastern-lowland' group' by more humid and warmer conditions.

Four Remarkable Additions to the Biodiversity of Chinese Mosses.

Four species of moss genus Schistidium are reported for the first time from China. All of them have been found in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Ecological and distributional details of the newly recorded species are provided and their local distribution is mapped. Photographs of the species are attached. Checklist of Schistidium species and identifying key are added. Considering the present records, Schistidium consists of 15 species in China.

Quo Vadis, Orthotrichum pulchellum? A Journey of Epiphytic Moss across the European Continent.

Orthotrichum pulchellum is a species of epiphytic moss in which a significant expansion from the oceanic part of Europe to the east of the continent has been observed in the recent two decades. The improvement in air quality in Central and Eastern Europe, but also climate change, probably plays a role in this. This study shows what direction of its spreading we can expect in the future. Ecological niche modeling (ENM) is a widespread method to find out species niches in environmental and geographical space, which allows us to highlight areas that have a higher probability of occurrences of the studied species, based on identifying similar environmental conditions to those already known. We also made predictions for different future scenarios (CMIP5 climatology datasets for the years 2041-2060). Because we were not able to distinguish between historical and newly settled areas, and so, had to use some of the traditional approaches when modeling invasive species, we proposed to use niche clusters based on environmental layers to split the data of all known occurrences and make models separately for each cluster. This approach seems reasonable from the ecological species point of view because using all the morphologically same samples could be misleading. Altogether, 2712 samples were used from three separate niche clusters. For building the models, the Maxent algorithm was used as a well-tested, well-accepted, and commonly used method.

The Utility of Ground Bryophytes in the Assessment of Soil Condition in Heavy Metal-Polluted Grasslands.

Bryophytes are commonly used in biomonitoring heavy metal pollution, whereas the bioindicative value of bryophyte communities is a less known issue. The aim of the present study is to recognize the utility of the bryophyte community's structure in the assessment of soil condition in heavy metal-polluted, dry grasslands. The study plots are examined with respect to bryophytes; vascular plants; concentrations of Zn, Pb, Cd, and As in the soil; total nitrogen and organic carbon content in the soil; and soil pH. The results show that both bryophyte species richness and composition greatly depend on soil chemical characteristics, including heavy-metal pollution levels and soil pH. Three groups of species are distinguished: (1) species sensitive to pollution growing on acidic soils, (2) nonspecific species inhabiting a wide spectrum of heavy metal-polluted sites, and (3) species preferring polluted and alkaline soils. Our study reveals a gradual replacement of the bryophyte species alongside increasing soil pollution and alkalinity. This proves that bryophytes are highly responsive to soil factors and the changes in bryophyte composition may indicate the soil condition of a certain site. Furthermore, high concentrations of heavy metals in the soil and an alkaline pH positively affect bryophyte species richness. Consequently, such sites could be considered as biodiversity hotspots for terrestrial bryophytes in post-industrial landscapes.

New European Discovery of Splachnum pensylvanicum (Bryophyta, Splachnaceae) in Lithuania, with Taxonomic Notes and a Review of Its World Distribution.

Splachnum pensylvanicum (Brid.) Grout ex H.A.Crum is recorded for the first time in Lithuania and it is its fourth discovery at a third locality in Europe. It was found for the first time in 2000 in Kamanos mire, the largest peatland complex in the northern part of this East Baltic country. Targeted investigations at this site in 2017 resulted in the discovery of 14 populations and it is apparently the largest and most abundant locality of the species in Europe. Splachnum pensylvanicum is briefly described and illustrated along with some taxonomic notes and a detailed description of its habitat requirements. The global geographical distribution of S. pensylvanicum is reviewed and mapped. It is a Euro-Eastern North American temperate species and deeply penetrates into the Neotropics at montane stations in Venezuela and SE Brazil in South America.

Undiscovered Biodiversity of the European Moss Flora: Neodicranella hamulosa (Aongstroemiaceae), a New Genus and Species from SW Portugal.

A new genus is described to accommodate Neodicranella hamulosa, a novel species resolved in the family Aongstroemiaceae, from the Monchiquense district in SW Portugal. Characterized by its small size, erect spreading to subsecund non-sheathing leaves, plane bistratose leaf margins, and rhizoidal gemmae with slightly protruberant cells, it differs from all other European Dicranellaceae in the uniquely patterned distal peristome segments with backward-pointing papillae resembling hooked barbs. The species appears to be endemic to the sub-Mediterranean bioclimatic zone, in wooded biomes where humidity remains relatively high throughout the year. Morphological and molecular data strongly support the singularity of this new taxon. The species is illustrated by photomicrographs and SEM, and its ecology and conservation are discussed.

Tea plantations and their importance as host plants and hot spots for epiphytic cryptogams.

Bryophytes and lichens are outstanding bioindicators, not only of the plant community in which they develop, but also the substrates on which they grow. Some epiphytic cryptogams, particularly the rare ones, are stenotopic and require a long habitat continuity, for example substrates such as old trees. It could also be a tea plantation, this is because the shrubs are not felled, and most of them may have several dozen years. In addition, the shrubs are not subject to sudden changes in microclimatic conditions as only the young leaves are harvested. As the importance of tea plantations as host plants for mosses and lichens has not yet been studied, the present study examines the species diversity of cryptogams of two tea plantations in Georgia (Caucasus). The study also examines the phytogeography, spatial pattern, environmental conditions and ecological indicators of the cryptogams. Thirty-nine cryptogam taxa were identified; typical forest taxa dominated, even in the absence of typical forest communities. Some of these species are obligatory epiphytes, rare or even critically endangered in most European countries (e.g., Orthotrichum stellatum, O. stramineum, Lewinskya striata). The fairly abundant record of such species on tea plantations indicates the importance of these phytocoenoses for the preservation of rare species, and indicates that these habitats are hot spots for these cryptogams in otherwise changed envirnonment. Additionally, as indicated the analysis of the species composition of individual plantations and the mathematical analysis made on this basis, plantations differ from each other. Another interesting result is also the spatial distributions of cryptogams on tea bushes resemble those of forest communities and lichens seems to be more sensitive than bryophytes to antropogenic changes of environment.

A Synopsis of Orthotrichum s. lato (Bryophyta, Orthotrichaceae) in China, with Distribution Maps and a Key to Determination.

A total of 46 species and two varieties of the traditionally interpreted genus Orthotrichum are currently known to occur in China. They represent five genera, including Orthotrichum (29 species), Lewinskya (14 species and two varieties), and Nyholmiella and Leratia that are represented by a single species each. The fifth genus Florschuetziella, also consisting of only one species, F. scaberrima, is an entirely neglected representative of the China's moss flora. A list of all accepted taxa is presented and for each taxon all literature records and herbarium specimens are enumerated for provinces in which they have been recorded, and their distribution is mapped. A key to determination of Chinese orthotrichalean mosses is presented. A chronological list of 63 species and varieties and two designations, O. catagonioides and O. microsporum which have never been validly published, reported from China in the years 1892-2020 is presented. Four species, Orthotrichum brasii, O. hooglandii, O. elegans and O. gymnostomum are excluded from the bryoflora of China and Lewinskya affinis var. bohemica and Orthotrichum schimperi are recorded for the first time from this country. Phytogeography of the Chinese taxa of the orthotrichalean mosses is considered and they are grouped into eight phytogeographical elements and five sub-elements.

Could Bryophagous Beetles (Coleoptera: Byrrhidae) Help Us Understand Bryophyte Taxonomy? Preferences within the Hypnum cupressiforme Hedw. Species Complex.

Intrataxonomic differences in terms of angiosperm suitability for herbivorous insects stem from variables such as plant structure, palatability, and chemistry. It has not yet been elucidated whether these differences also occur in terms of the bryophyte's suitability to bryophages. Hypnum cupressiforme Hedw. is a morphologically variable moss species frequently inhabited or fed by insects. In this investigation, we offered five morphotypes of H. cupressiforme to two bryophagous species of Byrrhidae (Coleoptera) to reveal whether the intrataxonomic variability affects beetles' preferences. The morphotypes were offered with preserved and removed spatial structures. There were no significant differences in morphotype preferences when spatial structures were preserved, although during the daytime, the beetles moved from the flat morphotype to the usual and turgid morphotypes. The beetles preferred the turgid morphotype when the spatial structures were removed. The results suggest that the spatial structure variations in the H. cupressiforme complex are accompanied by different chemical, physiological, or microscopic morphological profiles that are recognized by the bryophagous insects. Phylogenetic and epigenetic analyses can reveal multiple differences within the H. cupressiforme complex. Their interconnection with information about the preferences of bryophagous insects can help us to elucidate which of these differences are ecologically relevant.

How Does the pH of Tree Bark Change with the Presence of the Epiphytic Bryophytes from the Family Orthotrichaceae in the Interaction with Trunk Inclination?

The pH of tree bark is affected by many factors, amongst them epiphytic bryophytes changing in their active state environment. Thus, we hypothesized that bryophytes can change bark acidity, dependently of the inclination of the branches, as inclination affect the water regime and particle deposition. We measured the pH under bryophyte cushions and compared it to nearby naked bark. Additionally, we compared results with experimental bark covering with neutral cover. We found that the pH of naked bark declines with decreasing inclination of trunks. Although bryophyte cover did not generally change the pH of the bark, there was a significant interaction with inclination: with higher inclination, bryophytes decrease the pH reaction of bark, while with lower inclination they increase it. One possible explanation may lie in changes to alkaline particle deposition, or conversely in the acidification of the bark by leaching. In addition, an experiment with a neutral cover showed that naked bark covering would substantially increase pH. As, on average, bryophytes do not change the pH of bark, there can be mutual interference between the alkalizing effect of the bark cover itself and the acidifying biological effect of bryophytes.

Welcome to the Czech Republic again! Rare northern mosses Calliergon megalophyllum and Drepanocladus sordidus (Amblystegiaceae) in South Bohemia in light of their European distribution and habitat preferences.

Two aquatic moss species, Calliergon megalophyllum and Drepanocladus sordidus (Amblystegiaceae, Bryophyta), which had been considered extinct in the Czech Republic, were found in the Trebon Basin, South Bohemia, in 2016-2017. They co-occurred in extensive reed- and sedge-dominated fen pools with humic water on the shore of an old fishpond and the former species was also discovered in a small humic pool in an old shallow sand-pit. The new Czech sites of these rare boreal species represent one of the southernmost known outposts within their entire European range. Previously, the two species were only known from single records in the Czech Republic from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. To confirm our morphological observations, we used phylogenetic analyses of DNA sequence variation in four chloroplast loci (atpB-rbcL, trnL-trnF, rpl16, trnG) and one nuclear region, the internal transcribed spacers of ribosomal DNA (ITS). We found (1) monophyly of all Calliergon megalophyllum specimens tested; (2) based on chloroplast DNA sequences, monophyly among all Drepanocladus sordidus specimens and representatives of Pseudocalliergon turgescens and P. lycopodioides moss species; (3) based on nuclear ITS sequences, monophyly of all original D. sordidus specimens. These results corroborate morphological studies and thus confirm the existence of natural sites for the studied moss species in the Trebon Basin, South Bohemia, Czech Republic.

Mitogenomic analyses support the recent division of the genus Orthotrichum (Orthotrichaceae, Bryophyta).

A recently presented taxonomical arrangement of the moss genus Orthotrichum Hedw. s.l. substantially changed the traditional view of the taxon that had been accepted throughout the twentieth century. This paper provides the results of mitogenomic studies that strongly support the new taxonomical concept. Comparative analyses presented in this study confirmed the stable structure of moss mitogenomes. Moreover, 17 complete mitogenome sequences were used to identify the major evolutionary groups, including 11 newly sequenced ones, for this study. The analysis of mitochondrial hotspots revealed intron 4 of the cox1 gene to be the most variable non-coding region. The most variable protein-coding genes in the tribe Orthotricheae were ccmFC and tatC. The intergenic and intronic hotspots of Orthotrichum s.l. identified in the present study do not correspond to those described in vascular plant mitogenomes.

The complete mitochondrial genome of the epiphytic moss Orthotrichum speciosum.

The mitogenome of the Orthotrichum speciousum (GenBank accession number KM288416) has a total length of 104,747 bp and consist of 40 protein-coding genes, 3 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and 24 transfer RNA. The gene order is identical to other known moss mitogenomes.

The complete mitochondrial genome of the rare and endangered Orthotrichum rogeri (Orthotrichaceae, Bryophyta).

The mitogenome of the Orthotrichum rogeri (GenBank accession number KM873610) has a total length of 106,634 bp and consist of 40 protein-coding genes, 3 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and 24 transfer RNA. The gene order is identical to other known moss mitogenomes. A complete mitochondrial genome sequence of O. rogeri will help the development of primers for examining mitochondrial variation across bryophytes.

Effect of 30 years of road traffic abandonment on epiphytic moss diversity.

Road traffic emits a cocktail of pollutants that can influence the vegetation and plant diversity in neighboring areas. However, the recovery potential of bryophytes after traffic abandonment is still little explored. In addition, the effects of the main pollutants of road verges, such as metals and salinity, on moss flora need to be investigated. In our study, we compared the moss richness and diversity in two closely related veteran tree allees of high conservation importance. The allees in Gryzów and Lubrza, Poland, were chosen because of their similarity in age, geographical location, type of surrounding areas, and tree species. The only difference was that the trees in Gryzów had not been exposed to direct road pollution for almost 30 years. The moss richness and diversity differed significantly between the sites. Altogether, 20 moss species were recorded on 229 trees, 17 species in Gryzów (abandoned road), and 13 in Lubrza (busy road). We found considerable differences between moss cover on the road-facing and opposite sides of tree trunks. In Lubrza, mosses on the road-facing side were very scarce. The moss cover in Gryzów was highly balanced between trunk sides as well as among trunk heights. Typical epiphytic species such as Bryum moravicum, Dicranoweisia cirrata, Leskea polycarpa, and Orthodicranum tauricum preferred the Gryzów tree stands, where they were present in numbers almost twice as high as that at Lubrza. The study shows that constructing a bypass road could be an effective conservation measure for veteran tree protection with their epiphytic moss flora.

Isolation and characterization of Simple Sequence Repeats (SSR) Markers from the moss genus Orthotrichum using a small throughput pyrosequencing machine.

Here, we report the results of next-generation sequencing on the GS Junior system to identify a large number of microsatellites from the epiphytic moss Orthotrichum speciosum. Using a combination of a total (non-enrichment) genomic library and small-scale 454 pyrosequencing, we determined 5382 contigs whose length ranged from 103 to 5445 bp. In this dataset we identified 92 SSR (simple sequence repeats) motifs in 89 contigs. Forty-six of these had flanking regions suitable for primer design. We tested PCR amplification, reproducibility, and the level of polymorphism of 46 primer pairs for Orthotrichum speciosum using 40 individuals from two populations. As a result, the designed primers revealed 35 polymorphic loci with more than two alleles detected. This method is cost- and time-effective in comparison with traditional approaches involving cloning and sequencing.