Boon-Chuan Ho & James R. Shevock

Rosario R. Rubite

Elena Mencias-Ragragio

Jef Mancera

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ABSTRACT

Disjunctions between tropical America and tropical Asia, commonly called amphi-Pacific tropical disjunctions, have frequently been discussed among flowering plants but have received very little attention in bryology. A screening of the literature revealed nine species and sixteen genera or infrageneric taxa of bryophytes with amphi-Pacific tropical (or subtropical) ranges. They include Austinia tenuinervis, Diphyscium chiapense, D. longiflorum, Elmerobryum, Fissidens sect. Sarawakia, Ganguleea angulosa, Hydrogonium arcuatum, Hymenostyliella, Hymenostylium aurantiacum, Luisierella barbula, Mniomalia, Rozea, Sphaerotheciella and Sorapilla among the mosses and Ceratolejeunea grandiloba, Drepanolejeunea subg. Rhaphidolejeunea, Lejeunea sect. Echinocolea, Lobatiriccardia, Myriocoleopsis sect. Myriocoleopsis, Phycolepidozia, Pictolejeunea, Rectolejeunea, Southbya organensis and Vitalianthus among liverworts. All of them occur in tropical or subtropical Asia and the Neotropics but are not known from Africa. The causes of the amphi-Pacific tropical disjunctions in bryophytes are still unclear. In flowering plants, molecular analyses indicate that amphi-Pacific tropical ranges frequently resulted from past migration across Eurasia and the northern Atlantic Ocean, followed by local extinction. This scenario may also have operated in amphi-Pacific bryophytes but some might have reached South America via the southern Pacific migration route. The possibility of direct long-range dispersal across the Pacific Ocean cannot be ruled out and this scenario seems likely for Southbya organensis, which occurs on Hawaii and freely produces spores and small gemmae. The possibility that the disjunctive ranges reflect insufficient collecting and that some taxa also occur in Africa should also be taken into account. There is no strong evidence for human introduction of amphi-Pacific tropical bryophytes. The new combinations Lejeunea sect. Echinocolea (R.M.Schust.) Gradst. comb. nov. and Myriocoleopsis sect. Protocolea (R.M.Schust.) Gradst. comb. nov. are proposed.

KEYWORDS: Biogeography, Disjunctive range, Liverworts, Long-range dispersal, Migration, Mosses

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Abstract

ABSTRACT

Five Asian species of Selaginella distributed in the neighboring regions of China were recently discovered within the territory of China. They are Selaginella pallida Spring, S. pentagona Spring, S. subdiaphana (Wall. ex Hook. & Grev.) Spring, S. tenuifolia Spring, and S. shakotanensis (Franch. ex H. Takeda) Miyabe & Kudo. The first four species are mainly distributed in the East Himalaya, while the last one is from Northeast Asia.

KEYWORDS: Selaginella, new records, Asia, China

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ABSTRACT

Sphagnum apopenneysii B.C. Tan, Ignatov, Ignatova, & B. Mishler is described as a species new to science. It was found submerged in a high mountain lake, at 2385 m elev. on Mt. Apo on Mindanao island in the Philippines. The new species is peculiar in its poor expression of leaf cell dimorphism. Cells in the upper half of the branch leaves are all identical, linear-vermicular, and all have chloroplasts and nuclei. In the mid-leaf, a moderate differentiation in shape appears with larger cells, approaching in shape to hyalocysts, yet still containing chlorophyll. Only near the base of the branch leaves is a pattern common to most Sphagnum species observed, including inflated hyalocysts with fibrils, albeit without any pores. Collections from deeper water have long lanceolate leaves, while plants from shallower water have stem leaves that are ovate-triangular, similar to those in many species of Sphagnum in section Cuspidata. Both nuclear and plastid DNA sequence data support the placement of this new moss in section Cuspidata.

KEYWORDS: Sphagnum apopenneysii, Sphagnum sect. Cuspidata, chlorocyst, hyalocyst

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ABSTRACT

The new species Dicranum ignatovii Tubanova & Fedosov is described from Sakhalin, South Kurile Islands and the Khabarovsk Territory based on the approach of integrative taxonomy. The species is characterized by the unique combination of (1) short leaves with broadly acute apex, (2) slightly recurved distal leaf lamina, (3) short-rectangular to transverse rectangular distal leaf cells, (4) proximal leaf cells abruptly shortened distally and thus occupying only the basalmost leaf portion, (5) costa ending before apex, and (6) presence of flagelliform branchlets in upper leaf axils. Based on nrITS 1, 2 & 5.8 rRNA gene sequences, molecular phylogenetic analysis was carried out. As a result, three studied specimens were found in a well supported clade, nested in a weakly supported clade where D. acutifolium, D. caesium, D. bardunovii, D. angustum, D. bonjeanii, D. scoparium and D. brevifolium were also found.

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ABSTRACT

The genus Selaginella, commonly referred to as spikemosses, is an important component of the Philippines’ lycophytes diversity. Mountain ecosystems in Mindanao island hold diverse species of lycophytes, however the morpho-taxonomy diversity of this group is poorly documented there. The study aimed to determine Selaginella species richness, distribution and phenetic relationships based on morphological characteristics in Mindanao island. Specimens of Selaginella were collected in Mt. Apo, Kidapawan City; Mt. Hamiguitan, Davao Oriental; Mt. Kiamo, Mt. Kitanglad, Mt. Musuan and Mt. Limbawon in Bukidnon; Mt. Timpoong, Camiguin; and Mt. Malindang, Misamis Occidental. The 24 Selaginella species were collected and subjected to numerical phenetic analysis using the PC-ORD program. A total of 11 morphological characters and 44 character states were used in the analyses. Of the 24 species, seven are Philippine endemics, four are potential new species and two species are widely distributed in the areas studied. Results of the phenetic analysis showed four major clusters.

KEYWORDS: endemic species, lycopods, Philippines, Selaginellaceae, taxonomy

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ABSTRACT

Distichophyllum armatum (E.B. Bartram) B.C. Ho & L. Pokorny, is newly discovered in lower montane forest in southern Thailand. A description and line drawing are provided, and its diagnostic characters and geographical distribution are briefly discussed.

KEYWORDS: bryophyte, diversity, moss, Thai-Malay Peninsula, taxonomy

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ABSTRACT

Octoblepharum benitotanii Salazar Allen & Chantanaorr., a new species of Octoblepharum from the Old World tropics, is described and illustrated based on specimens from Thailand and Timor. Taxonomic affinities and information on habitat and distribution are discussed. This is the fourth species of Octoblepharum described for Asia besides O. albidum, O. arthrocormoides, and O. pocsii and, not counting O. depressum, whose type specimen has not been found and thus its status is doubtful. Octoblepharum benitotanii is distinguished by its narrow, elongate, tumid, long acuminate leaves and peristome with eight foveolate-reticulate teeth.

KEYWORDS: Bryophyta, Octoblepharum albidum, species-complex, Southeast Asia

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ABSTRACT

A couple of two month-long botanical expeditions conducted during 2014 and 2015 to inventory the moss flora of several mountain ranges in Mindanao, Philippines yielded 17 mosses reported new for the island, namely, Chaetomitrium elmeri, Chaetomitrium everettii, Clastobryum indicum, Ctenidium malacobolum, Distichophyllum subcuspidatum, Distichophyllum undulatum, Ectropothecium zollingeri, Fissidens anomalus, Fissidens pellucidus, Fissidens polypodioides, Fissidens taxifolius, Hookeriopsis wishurae, Meiothecium tenellum, Rhapidostichum luzonense, Rhodobryum aubertii, Rhynchostegiella menadensis and Rosulabryum billarderii. Southern range extensions for Mindanao are reported for Acroporium sigmatodontium and Pelekium velatum.

KEYWORDS: bryophyte inventory, new records, species distribution, taxonomy

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ABSTRACT

A new species Diplycosia benitotanii (Ericaceae) is described from Mt. Halcon, Mindoro, Philippines in honour of the late Dr. Benito C. Tan. Comments are made on the morphological similarities with other Philippine species in this genus.

KEYWORDS: New species, Diplycosia, Ericaceae, Mt. Halcon, Mindoro, Philippines

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ABSTRACT

This research focused on the study of a tropical semi-evergreen rain forest community structure within the ancestral domain of the Aetas in Morong, Bataan. Point-Centered Quarter Method (PCQM) was used where five 200 m transects were laid across a 28-ha study site. Trees with ≥1cm diameter at 1.3 m from the ground (Diameter at breast height (DBH)) were sampled. Trees encountered were categorized into four groups: seedlings, saplings, pole trees and standard trees based on girth classes. A total of 76 tree species belonging to 61 genera and 35 families were recorded. The most represented family was Moraceae, followed by Dipterocarpaceae, Sapindaceae and Lauraceae. The species with highest importance percentage (IP) were Shorea contorta Vidal (Dipterocarpaceae) (IP=9.731), Macaranga tanarius (L.) Muell.-Arg (Euphorbiaceae) (IP= 5.659) and Canarium europhyllum G. Perkins (Burseraceae) (IP= 4.538). Very high values of species diversity were calculated (H’= 3.817; D’= 0.968). The area was previously a dipterocarp forest and can now be classified as a young regenerating forest, composed primarily of seedlings many of which are dipterocarps. There were 17 threatened species, including two critically endangered and two endangered species (listed in The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (2017-3) and DAO (2017-11) as well as twelve endemic species identified as present in the area. This forest is a biological hotspot that needs utmost protection and conservation.

KEYWORDS: Ancestral domain, PCQM, Threatened species, Endemic, Tree diversity

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ABSTRACT

Plants that accumulate large amounts of heavy metals can be useful for environmental phytoremediation. These hyperaccumulators are capable of tolerating high concentrations of metals which are otherwise toxic to non-hyperaccumulators. This study aimed to account and categorize hyperaccumulating plant species in the Lagonoy ophiolite complex located in Camarines Sur province on Luzon Island. Plants were collected from several sampling sites within the mining area, identified, and their nickel content was measured using AAS. A total of 44 species from 30 families were collected and classified into non-accumulators, hemiaccumulators, hyperaccumulators and hypernickelophores based on the nickel level ranges defined in the work of Fernando et al. (2013). Six species were classified as non-nickel accumulators, in which the nickel content was <100 ppm (1 ppm=1 μg Ni/g dry matter). Twenty-one species were classified as hemiaccumulators, having 100-999 μg/g Ni levels. There were 11 species of hyperaccumulators with nickel content of >1000 μg/g Ni in dry matter and six hypernickelophores with nickel content of >10000 μg/g Ni in dry matter. The plant with the highest nickel content was Lygodium circinnatum (Burm.f.) Swartz. The potential of this fern as a phytoremediation plant is discussed.

KEYWORDS: heavy metals, mining, nickel hyperaccumulators, ophiolite complex, pollution

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