Mosses of the Mediterranean, an annotated checklist - Optima-bot.org

Mosses of the Mediterranean, an annotated checklist 221[31] Ephemerum stellatum H. Philib. has been recently synonymised by Holyoak (2010)with E. serratum, based on a study of the type. However, this author remarked that thename E. stellatum had been used in a wider sense to refer to two different morphotypesthat actually belong to two different species. The specimens with finely papillosespores, usually with a hyaline veil or the remnants of one, should be named asE. minutissimum, and those with coarsely papillose spores, without a hyaline veil or itsremnants, as E. serratum. Therefore, the reports of E. stellatum in the Mediterraneanarea (France, Morocco, Portugal and Turkey) should be revised in order to assess towhich of the two accepted species they belong.[32] Guerra et al. (2010b) proposed a new species, Neckera baetica, for the specimens frommainland Spain previously named Neckera intermedia Brid. Based on molecular dataand following the new generic classification of Olsson et al. (2011), Draper et al. (2011)proposed the inclusion of the new species in the genus Exsertotheca.[33] Fabronia leikipiae var. ahaggarensis Thér. & Trab. was described from Algeria(Hoggar, Sahara), the only country where it is known. Its identity has not been revisedsince.[34] Fabronia guenzii is an African species reported from the study area only in Morocco byRauh (1952) but the identity of the report is difficult to confirm because the specimencannot be traced (Ros, unpublished).[35] Fissidens narbonensis Roum. was described from France but its identity remainsunknown. It was considered by Corley et al. (1981) as a doubtful species. According toBruggeman-Nannenga (pers. comm.) the type is probably lost and therefore its identitycannot be assessed. It seems to belong to the Fissidens bryoides complex.[36] Fissidens luisieri P. de la Varde was synonymised with F. serrulatus by Werner et al.(2009a).[37] Funaria nubica Müll. Hal. and Funaria sickenbergeri Müll. Hal. were described fromEgypt but their identity is uncertain and requires further study.[38] The status of Funaria maireana Copp., described from Greece and also reported fromEgypt by Coppey (1909), is uncertain and requires further study.[39] Funaria altissima was described from Algeria and is known only from the originalreport. Its identity has not been revised since but it seems to be a distinct taxon (Rosand Brugués, unpublished).[40] Funaria anomala is a poorly known species described from Cyprus and also reportedfrom Egypt and south-western Asia.[41] Maier (2010) in a morphological-anatomical study of the genus Grimmia treatedG. lisae, G. trichophylla, and G. meridionalis as distinct species, along withG. dissimulata. The phylogenetic study of Grimmia based on plastid DNA sequences(trnL-trnF and rps4) and morphological characters by Streiff (2006) seems to supportthe criterion of Maier, which is concordant with previous observations of Muñoz (pers.comm.). However, Greven (2009a) has a different opinion about G. meridionalis andincludes it among the synonyms of Grimmia austrofunalis Müll. Hal. Nevertheless,Muñoz (1999) considers this taxon to be absent from Europe and restricted to Americaand Australia, and that all European specimens identified under this name actuallycorrespond to other species. The considered by Greven (2009a) synonyms ofG. austrofunalis (Grimmia britannica A.J.E. Sm., G. decipiens var. robusta Braithw.,G. robusta Fergusson ex Braithw. nom. illeg. and G. trichophylla var. robusta(Braithw.) A.J.E. Sm.), – all of them corresponding to a single taxon – are accordingto Muñoz & Pando (2000) of uncertain identity as the name on which they are based,G. robusta, remains to be typified. The criterion of Muñoz included in Hill et al. (2006)has been followed in this paper.[42] Grimmia horrida was described from the Iberian Peninsula (Portugal and Spain)by Muñoz et al. (2009). Greven (2011) regards it only as variety of G. montana.