Czernyadjeva, I.V., O.I. Kuznetsova & M.S. Ignatov. On Pohlia saprophila (Mielichhoferiaceae, Bryophyta)

Arctoa (2017) 26: 181–186

doi: 10.15298/arctoa.26.17

The status and distribution of Pohlia saprophila (Müll. Hal.) Broth. remained vague, as this species was not specially studied. Being described from the Central China, Gansu Province, it was treated as doubtful in the last edition of the Moss Flora of China. This species is closely related to P. elongata, and its distinction from it in dioicous sexual condition could be considered ambiguus, as dioicous plants occasionally occur in some populations of P. elongata as well. However, dioicous sexuality in Pohlia saprophila is stable and consistent with very dense growth of plants due to numerous rhizoids, and also is well supported by ITS sequence data. In addition to China, Pohlia saprophylla occurs in Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, South Siberia (Altai and Transbaikalia) and extends eastward to Kamchatka. Another species, which was described as dioicous in this groups, P. viridis Lindb. & Arnell, is synonymized with P. elongata.