The systematic identity of Chiloscyphus trichocoleoides, a new liverwort species from New Zealand, uncovered by morphological and molecular evidence

Abstract

A new liverwort species from Western Nelson Ecological Province of New Zealand known from a single sterile specimen is described. It is unusual in having well-developed stem paraphyllia, and the leaves and underleaves are divided with three levels of ciliate division in a pinnate manner. This morphology suggested membership of Trichocoleaceae or Trichotemnomaceae, but other features of the plant made placement in either family seem unnatural. We determined its position by conducting phylogenetic analyses of rbcL, rps4 and trnL–F sequence datasets from 35 exemplars, and further confirmation of the position was carried out by an extended analysis using rbcL sequence dataset of 59 exemplars. The surprising result is that it belongs within the genus Chiloscyphus, where it is unique in these features. We describe this new species as Chiloscyphus trichocoleoides. Placing the new species in Chiloscyphus has broadened the generic concept of Chiloscyphus, and its phylogenetic relationship within and to other genera such as Clasmatocolea and Heteroscyphus needs further investigation. The results also show that the same morphological features seen in Chiloscyphus and in Trichocoleaceae and Trichotemnomaceae have developed independently.