Abstract
A new genus is described to accommodate Neodicranella hamulosa, a novel species resolved in the family Aongstroemiaceae, from the Monchiquense district in SW Portugal. Characterized by its small size, erect spreading to subsecund non-sheathing leaves, plane bistratose leaf margins, and rhizoidal gemmae with slightly protruberant cells, it differs from all other European Dicranellaceae in the uniquely patterned distal peristome segments with backward-pointing papillae resembling hooked barbs. The species appears to be endemic to the sub-Mediterranean bioclimatic zone, in wooded biomes where humidity remains relatively high throughout the year. Morphological and molecular data strongly support the singularity of this new taxon. The species is illustrated by photomicrographs and SEM, and its ecology and conservation are discussed.
Highlights
Present on all continents, the genus Dicranella (Müll.Hal.) Schimp
Only about 50 species of Dicranella have been thoroughly described in revisions, floras, and monographs, whereas for some 100 or more species, there is no information available since first described, and the group is urgently in need of taxonomic revision [2,3]; there are only a few regional revisions [4,5] or studies of individual species [6], and only a small proportion of Dicranella s.l. has been sequenced [7]
Nine species are listed for the Iberian Pensinsula [12], with six species reported for Portugal [12,13,14,15]: D. heteromalla (Hedw.) Schimp., D. howei Renauld & Cardot, D. rufescens (Dicks.) Schimp., D. staphylina H
Summary
The genus Dicranella (Müll.Hal.) Schimp. (syn. Anisothecium), in the broader sense, is estimated to comprise somewhere between 158 (includingAnisothecium) [1] and 162 species [2], while the Tropicos database (http://legacy.tropicos.org/NameSearch.aspx, accessed 6 September 2021) lists 175 accepted names. Some authors have recognized the genus Anisothecium (species of Dicranella possessing stomata, peristome with a relatively low basal membrane and with an annulus [8]), but this concept is not currently followed [4,9]. Dicranella in North America [9] is well understood, with 10 species (excluding Dicranella palustris (Dicks.) Crundw. F. Warb., placed in the genus Diobelonella [10]), and is well understood in Europe, where 12 species are accepted [11]. Nine species are listed for the Iberian Pensinsula [12], with six species reported for Portugal [12,13,14,15]: D. heteromalla (Hedw.) Schimp., D. howei Renauld & Cardot, D. rufescens (Dicks.) Schimp., D. staphylina H.
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