Lophozia svalbardensis (Lophoziaceae) in continental North America, Greenland and Siberia, its identity, variation and differentiation

Abstract

Lophozia excisa var. succulenta (≡ Lophoziopsis excisa var. succulenta) is a synonym of Lophozia svalbardensis. This conclusion is based on morphological investigation and a subsequent molecular‐genetic study which revealed an absence of variability among nucleotide sequences of ITS1‐2 nrDNA and trnL‐F cpDNA in specimens from Arctic Alaska, West Siberian Arctic and Svalbard. Lophozia svalbardensis is reported for the first time for continental North America, Greenland and Siberia based on revised data on the distribution of Lophozia excisa var. succulenta. An expanded description of Lophozia svalbardensis, its variation, differentiation and photomicrographs of specimens from the Seward and Gydanskiy peninsulas are provided. The variability of pigmentation pattern, cell walls, perianth structure and gemmae is described.