부산대학교 도서관

Morphological and molecular studies support the recognition of three alpine species within the traditional concept ofBrachythecium cirrosum, which requires the resurrection of two earlier described taxa,B. funkiiandB. japygum, comb. nov., from synonymy. According to nuclear and chloroplast sequence data, the latter two taxa proved to be closely related toB. tommasiniiandB. tenuicaule, whereas the affinities ofB. cirrosumwithinBrachytheciumare rather unclear.B. funkiiis a coarser plant thanB. cirrosumand also differs in shorter leaf acumens and much larger lamina cells. On the other hand,B. japygum(better known under the illegitimate nameEurhynchium histrio) can be distinguished fromB. cirrosumin the prostrate and densely pinnate to subdendroid growth form, longer leaf acumens and wider lamina cells with lumens wider than walls. All three species also differ from each other in the morphology of the alar cell group. Despite their shared preference for calcareous rocks, the three species show marked differences in habitat requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]