Huttunen S., Hedenäs L., Ignatov M.S. 2018. Phylogenetic position of Homalothecium laevisetum and relationship with the genus Palamocladium

Arctoa (2018) 27: 91–103

doi: 10.15298/arctoa.27.09

Molecualar phylogenetic analysis found Homalothecium laevisetum, a widespread East Asian and Malesian species, to be unrelated to other species of this genus and invoked resurrection of the genus Oticodium. The latter genus was described for one species, O. celebesiae, which is considered to be a synonym of Homalothecium laevisetum. Oticodium belongs to the subfamily Eurhynchioideae, and most closely related to Eurhynchium s.str. The specialized peristome of the epiphytic Oticodium seems to have evolved more abruptly from that in terrestrial Eurhynchium than in other epiphytic lineages of Brachytheciaceae, such as Homalothecium and Palamocladium, where the transition to a specialized peristome is more gradual. The superficially similar genus Palamocladium is briefly commented on.