Integrative taxonomy reveals a new species of the genus Lejeunea (Marchantiophya: Lejeuneaceae) from Peninsular Malaysia
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
7-1-2022
Abstract
Prior to the advent of molecular work, the observable variation in vegetative reproduction has been used to classify Lejeunea into subgenera and sections. Thereby, the ability of developing caducous leaves was regarded as major factor. A reexamination of several Lejeunea specimens revealed that L. cocoes with caducous leaves shows considerable morphological differences with non-caducous leaved plants of L. cocoes. Phylogenetic analyses based on a three-marker dataset (rbcL, trnLF and the nuclear ribosomal ITS region) indicated two independent and robust lineages of the morpho-species L. cocoes. We consider both clades as two distinct species and therefore describe the new species, L. malaysiana for L. cocoes morpho-species with caducous leaves. Lejeunea malaysiana is characterized by its caducous leaves with ribbon-like and plantlet regenerants, strongly reduced leaf lobules, distant and deeply bibbed underleaves, long-keeled obovoid perianth, and autoicy and ranges from tropical Asia to the Pacific region.
Keywords
Lejeunea Malaysiana, Lejeuneaceae, New species, Malaysia, Integrative taxonomy
Divisions
GEOLOGY
Funders
Ministry of Education (MOE) Malaysia through Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (Grant No: FRGS/1/2018/WAB13/UMT/03/1),Research Management and Innovation Centre (RMIC), Universiti Malaysia Terengganu
Publication Title
Plants-Basel
Volume
11
Issue
13
Publisher
MDPI
Publisher Location
ST ALBAN-ANLAGE 66, CH-4052 BASEL, SWITZERLAND