A contribution to the knowledge of selected Marchantiaceae taxa in China

ABSTRACT

Introduction

The family Marchantiaceae is often cited as a representative group of liverworts, partly because Marchantia polymorpha L. is well known as a model plant. Here, we re-examine and provide taxonomic notes on five species of Marchantiaceae in China.

Methods

Morphological examination was conducted by using dissecting and optical microscopes.

Key results

Marchantia convoluta was found to be conspecific with M. papillata subsp. grossibarba. Marchantia hartlessiana and M. polymorpha subsp. montivagans are, respectively, added to and excluded from the bryoflora of China. Supplementary descriptions and illustrations are provided for M. subintegra and Preissia platycarpa.

KEYWORDS:

• Asia
• liverworts
• Marchantiales
• morphological comparison
• taxonomy

Acknowledgements

We thank J. Atwood, Q. He, Y. Jia, W. Li, M. Price, M.-Z. Wang, P.-C. Wu, L. Scott, I. Valette and N.-N. Yu for providing precious specimens in their herbaria, and J. Hasegawa and X.-Q. Zhang for their invaluable suggestions. This study was supported by Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (Specially Designated Research Promotion) from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science to the Hattori Botanical Laboratory.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Tian-Xiong Zheng

Tian-Xiong Zheng obtained his doctoral degree from Hiroshima University. Currently, he is the director of the herbarium of the Hattori Botanical Laboratory (NICH) and a full-time member of the research staff of Hattori Botanical Laboratory. His main scientific interest is the systematics of Marchantiidae, especially the Marchantiaceae, Aytoniaceae and Cleveaceae.

David G. Long

David G. Long has a doctoral degree from Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland. He is a research associate at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, following his retirement as a research botanist there. His current research interests are the taxonomy and floristics of Himalayan and Chinese bryophytes, especially thalloid liverworts such as the genera Aneura and Asterella.