Abstract
Plagiothecium handelii is newly recorded for Europe (Austria and Romania) and eastern North America (Tennessee, USA). This dainty species was previously known only from Yunnan and Sichuan Provinces, China. Morphologically, the disjunctive populations belong to a single species. A 27-taxon phylogeny of Plagiothecium based on nuclear ITS and plastid rpl16 intron DNA sequence data resolved Austrian and Chinese populations of P. handelii as sisters, in a clade with P. paleaceum, a julaceous Himalayan species with cochleariform leaves. In contrast, P. handelii is a filiform plant with distant, ovate-acuminate leaves. In sequence identity the three terminals have a similar level of variation, suggesting that the geographic disjunction between the two populations of P. handelii is quite old. Morphologically and genetically the clade is a well defined lineage (Ortholimnobium) that is transitional between Plagiothecium s.str. and Struckia. The new combinations O. paleaceum and O. handelii are made. In Europe, O. handelii should be classified as vulnerable.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
