Taxonomic and nomenclatural novelties in Syntrichia (Bryophyta: Pottiaceae), with reinstatement of an endemic continental Antarctic species

Abstract

Taxonomic implications of the phylogeographic studies based on multilocus sequencing of nuclear and chloroplast DNA regions of Syntrichia sarconeurum, long considered to be Antarctic endemic moss species, are summarised. Molecular analyses confirmed the conspecificity of Syntrichia sarconeurum with S. lithophila and S. pygmaea. This taxonomic conclusion implies that the correct name for the species in the genus Syntrichia is S. lithophila and S. sarconeurum is a new synonym of this name. It is because S. sarconeurum takes priority from 2007, whereas S. lithophila is based on Tortula lithophila which was validly published in 1906 and it is the next earliest legitimate name at the rank of species to be used. Syntrichia sarconeurum, as traditionally conceived, proved to be a heterogeneous taxon actually consisting of two distinct species, namely S. lithophila and S. frigorideserticola nom. nov., which is a new name for Sarconeurum antarcticum whose epithet is not available in Syntrichia. Australian and New Zealand plants of Syntrichia with propaguloid leaf apices are definitely distinct from South American and Antarctic S. lithophila and S. frigorideserticola and the correct name for them is S. abruptinervis comb. nov., based on Tortula abruptinervis.