Cheilolejeunea morganii Bever. & Glenny (Lejeuneaceae, Marchantiopsida), a newly described species from lowland indigenous forest sites in New Zealand

ABSTRACT

Introduction. Cheilolejeunea morganii Bever. & Glenny, a new species of Cheilolejeunea from a lowland forest habitat in eastern Taranaki in the North Island of New Zealand, is described and illustrated.

Methods. DNA sequences were extracted from recently collected material at two locations and compared with those for species in a published phylogeny of the genus to establish the position of C. morganii. Photographic images were obtained of key features of the species for the preparation of illustrations for publication.

Key results. Cheilolejeunea morganii does not match any species described for New Zealand or Australia. The sequencing results indicate its position in the phylogeny is close to Section Paroicae. A key to the New Zealand species of Cheilolejeunea is provided.

Conclusions. In the Australasian flora, C. morganii is distinguished from other species by its combination of monoicy, pycnolejeuneoid gynoecial innovations, lobule length less than 50% lobe length and a multicellular second lobule tooth with 3–4 cells uniseriate. A case is presented for the recognition of the species as a New Zealand endemic.

KEYWORDS:

• Cheilolejeunea
• endemic
• Lejeuneaceae
• liverwort
• Marchantiopsida
• New Zealand
• new species
• phylogeny

Acknowledgements

Antony Kusabs has provided invaluable assistance, including in the field during the collection of the types. Jean-Claude Stahl assisted with the composition of the plates. Advice and support during the course of this study has been provided by Patrick Brownsey, Leon Perrie, Matt Renner, Heidi Meudt, John Braggins and Rodney Lewington. Ewen Cameron and Dhahara Ranatunga of the Auckland War Memorial Museum herbarium provided assistance with the loan of specimens. We also acknowledge the Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai for a permit to collect in the Department of Conservation estate, issued to Manaaki Whenua-Landcare Research. Visits to the collection sites were supported by collection development funding from the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Patrick Brownsey and Jessica Beever kindly provided comments on the draft script. Our thanks are also extended to the two reviewers whose comments and recommendations have greatly improved the manuscript.

Notes on contributors

Peter Beveridge is a research associate in the WELT Herbarium at Te Papa. He has an interest in bryophyte diversity and distribution in New Zealand and a current research interest in the genus Cheilolejeunea.

Lara Shepherd is an evolutionary biologist at Te Papa. She uses genetic methods to study the evolution of the flora and fauna of New Zealand and the Pacific.

David Glenny is a plant taxonomist at the Allan Herbarium, Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research, and a coauthor with John Engel of ‘A Flora of the New Zealand Liverworts and Hornworts’.

ORCID

David Glenny http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8064-6308

Lara Shepherd http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7136-0017