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Manual of tropical bryology
(2003)
Bryophytes belong to the oldest land plants. They existed already in the Palaeozoic 300 mio years ago in forms which were hardly different from the extant species. They remained relatively unchanged with relatively low evolution rates (and are thus often called a „conservative“ plant group), but could successfully establish themselves in an always varying environment from Devonian swamps to Permian forests, Mesozoic deserts and as epiphytes in Tertiary rainforests. They are not eaten by snails or insects, and are resistant against fungi and bacteria.
All specimens in BM labelled Phyllodon truncatus or P. truncatulus have been examined, together with two new Uganda collections, and all African species conform to the type of P. truncatus, and all American species conform to the type of P. truncatulus. Buck’s (1987) assessment of this genus is supported, and it is confirmed that P. truncatulus does not occur in Africa.
Gammiella ceylonensis (Broth. in Herzog) W.R.Buck & B.C.Tan is the only species of the genus in Africa. Clastobryella pusilla (Thér.) Wijk & Margad., recorded from Madagascar, the only member of the genus still recorded on the moss checklist for Africa, is a synonym of Gammiella ceylonensis. Clastobryella foliicola P.de la Varde is not a synonym of Gammiella ceylonensis but probably an Ectropothecium, thus removing the only west African record for Gammiella. An extension of range into South Africa is also noted, so Gammiella is now known from east and southern Africa and Madagascar.
Based on a recent moss checklist of sub-Saharan Africa, an analysis is made of moss diversity and endemism in the area. There are over 3000 taxa, 77% of which are endemic. Figures for diversity and endemism for each country are listed, mapped and graphed, and endemism is also considered at the genus level. As the bryophyte flora of Africa is comparatively poorly known, it is important to be prudent when drawing conclusions about biodiversity and endemism.
Of the three species of Acanthorrhynchium reported for Africa in a recent checklist, all prove to be the same as the widespread Asian species, Acanthorrhynchium papillatum (Harvey) Fleisch.: this is the first report of this taxon for Africa. Acanthorrhynchium decolor (Besch.) Fleisch. and A. loucoubense (Besch.) Fleisch. are made new synonyms of A. papillatum. Acanthorrhynchium serratum (Ren. & Card.) Fleisch. had already been made a synonym of A. loucoubense (as Taxithelium loucoubense) before Fleischer moved it into the genus Acanthorrhynchium.
The palaeotropic moss genus Radulina W.R.Buck & B.C.Tan is revised, resulting in the genus being reduced to four species and one variety. The following 14 names become synonyms of the oldest name in the genus, Radulina borbonica (Bél.) W.R.Buck: Hypnum hamatum Dozy & Molk., Sematophyllum subinstratum Besch., Hypnum trachyamphorum Müll.Hal., Sigmatella hamicuspis Müll.Hal. in Paris, nom. nud., Trichosteleum borbonicum var. brachycarpum Renauld & Cardot, Trichosteleum subtile Broth. & Watts, Trichosteleum aequoreum M.Fleisch. ex Dixon, Trichosteleum elegantissimum M.Fleisch., Trichosteleum elegantissima var. scabriseta M.Fleisch., Trichosteleum hamatum var. glabriseta M.Fleisch., Trichosteleum hamatum var. tuberculisetum M.Fleisch., Trichosteleum carolinarum Dixon, Trichosteleum neocaledonicum Thér, Trichosteleum flexuosa-hamatum Dixon. In addition, three of these taxa are lectotypified: Trichosteleum subtile Broth. & Watts, Trichosteleum aequoreum M.Fleisch. ex Dixon and Trichosteleum hamatum var. tuberculisetum M.Fleisch. The following are new combinations: Radulina borbonica var. ferriei (Cardot & Thér. in Thér.) O’Shea (= Radulina hamata var. ferriei (Cardot & Thér. in Thér.) B.C.Tan & Y.Jia), Radulina sematophylloides (Dixon) O’Shea (= Trichosteleum sematophylloides Dixon) and Trichosteleum koghiense (Thér.) O’Shea (= Trichosteleum neocaledonicum var. koghiense Thér.).
Three genera of the moss family Sematophyllaceae are revised for Africa as part of a project looking at the mosses of Seychelles. Two of the three species of the genus Rhaphidostichum Fleisch. (Sematophyllaceae, Bryopsida) prove to belong to different genera (Papillidiopsis (Broth.) Buck & Tan and Acroporium Mitt.). One of the two species of Warburgiella Fleisch. is shown to belong to Trichosteleum All species are described and illustrated. The following two new combinations are made: Papillidiopsis mahensis (Besch.) O’Shea (basionym Rhaphidostegium mahense Besch.) and Acroporium subluxurians (Dix. & Thér.) Tan & O’Shea (basionym Rhaphidostichum subluxurians Dix. & Thér.). Papillidiopsis malayana (Dix.) Tan is made a synonym of P. mahensis, and the basionym of Warburgiella leptorrhyncha is altered to Hypnum leptorrhynchum Müll. Hal., Synopsis 2: 313. 1851.
Felipponea assimilis (Müll.Hal.) O’Shea is the correct name to be used for all African collections of Felipponea, a species found in Uruguay, Brazil, Bolivia, southern and eastern Africa and the East African islands. Hypnum maritimum Müll.Hal. and Cladomnion montevidensis Müll.Hal. are new synonyms. Lectotypes are selected for Neckera assimilis Müll.Hal., Cladomnion montevidensis Müll.Hal. and Braunia peristomata Dixon in Sim & Dixon.