Ignatov, M.S., O.D. Dugarova, A.V. Fedorova & E.A. Ignatova. 2019. Lazarenkoa, a new moss genus from the Russian Far East

Arctoa (2019) 28: 226–230

doi: 10.15298/arctoa.28.21

A very small pleurocarpous moss recently collected in a limestome area in the Russian Far East, Lozovyj Range, was found in a molecular phylogeny to be a member of the complex of genera commonly referred to Leskeaceae or Thuidiaceae. Chloroplastic trnL–F data (low variable dataset) found its closest relationship with South Chinese Leskea scabrinervis. Nuclear ITS sequences (much more variable dataset) did not confirm this. Morphology is in a higher consistence with the signal from the trnL–F region, although the similarity of Russian Far Eastern plants with South Chinese ones is not full. Even if these plants are congeneric, their position in the genus Leskea contradicts the obtained phylogeny, and there is no other genera in Leskeaceae to place them. Therefore, Far Eastern plant is described as a new species and referred to a new genus Lazarenkoa. We refrain to refer Leskea scabrinervis to this new genus until more studies of that rare species appear. The occurrence of Lazarenkoa in the Lozovyj Range once again points the urgent need of its conservational value: in this small area are concentrated the only (or one of two) Russian populations of Homaliadelphus targionianus, Enrothia polyclada, Miyabaea fruticella, Forsstroemia noguchiana, Fissidens hyalinus, F. beckettii, and Ephemerum spinifolium.