Studies in Cryphaeaceae I. A Revision of the Genus Cryphaea in North America North of Mexico

Abstract

The moss genus Cryphaea Mohr in Web. (Cryphaeaceae) in North America north of Mexico includes four species: C. filiformis (Hedw.) Brid., C. glomerata Sull. in Gray, C. nervosa (Hook. & Wils.) C. Miill., and C. ravenelii Aust. Cryphaea floridensis Crum and C. glomerata var. scabra Grout, both de- scribed from Florida, are conspecific with C. filiformis (Hedw.) Brid., which occurs throughout Caribbean area and has not been previously reported as such for area studied. Cryphaea ravenelii Aust. is reported new to moss flora of Arkansas, the Carolinas, and Oklahoma. Descriptions, illustrations, distribution maps, and a key to species are presented in addition to notes on phytogeography. The family Cryphaeaceae is represented in North America north of Mexico by five genera (Crum et al., 1965). Cryphaea Mohr in Web., type genus of family and subject of this revision, is a pantropical genus whose main northern distribution in New World is in southeastern portion of United States, although one species (C. glomerata Sull. in Gray) extends north to Connecticut. The first known collections of Cryphaea in North America north of Mexico were made by Thomas Drummond near New Orleans, Louisiana 1831-1832. These collec- tions, C. glomerata (as Daltonia heteromalla var.) and C. nervosa (Hook. & Wils.) C. Miill. (as D. nervosa Hook. & Wils.), were distributed by W. Wilson and W. J. Hooker in an exsiccata entitled Musci Americani; or, Specimens of Mosses, Jungermanniae, & C. Collected by Late Thomas Drummond, in Southern States of North America.