Fruiting material of Chenia lorentzii (Bryophyta, Pottiaceae) found in Argentina and an evaluation of the sporophyte taxonomic value in the genus Chenia.

Abstract

In the present contribution, the sporophyte of Chenia lorentzii is described in detail and microphotographs are provided. In addition, the role of sporophytic characters is discussed in a phylogenetic context. To accomplish this task, first, a phylogenetic analysis of a reduced dataset of Pottiaceae genera was carried out by using molecular data (nad5, rps4, 26S) and combined data (morphology and molecular markers). Then, gametophytic and sporophytic characters were mapped onto the molecular tree and their fit to the phylogeny was assessed on the basis of their extra steps and the number of diagnosed nodes. Results suggest that sporophytic characters should be treated with caution when nomenclatural generic changes are proposed.