Revised generic classification of the Orthotrichaceae based on a molecular phylogeny and comparative morphology

Abstract

The systematic implications of the investigations are summarized and a new, annotated classification of the Orthotrichaceae based on the molecular phylogeny as well as on results from comparative morphology is presented. The Orthotrichaceae are divided into two subfamilies each composed of two tribes: the Zygodonteae and Orthotricheae, and the Schlotheimieae and Macromitrieae. A morphological and molecular investigation on the systematic of the Orthotrichaceae is presented and used as a framework for a revised generic classification of the family. The Orthotrichaceae are a cosmopolitan family that with nearly 600 species are one of the most diverse families of mosses. The following annotated classification represents the first attempt in mosses to integrate results from a phylogenetic reconstruction using molecular data with those obtained from comparative morphology. The topology obtained from the cladistic analysis of the rbcL sequence data is taken as support for recognizing two major lineages within the Orthotrichaceae, whereas the generic circumscription is based mostly on morphological character-state distributions.