Undiscovered Biodiversity of the European Moss Flora: Neodicranella hamulosa (Aongstroemiaceae), a New Genus and Species from SW Portugal

Abstract

A new genus is described to accommodate Neodicranella hamulosa, a novel species resolved in the family Aongstroemiaceae, from the Monchiquense district in SW Portugal. Characterized by its small size, erect spreading to subsecund non-sheathing leaves, plane bistratose leaf margins, and rhizoidal gemmae with slightly protruberant cells, it differs from all other European Dicranellaceae in the uniquely patterned distal peristome segments with backward-pointing papillae resembling hooked barbs. The species appears to be endemic to the sub-Mediterranean bioclimatic zone, in wooded biomes where humidity remains relatively high throughout the year. Morphological and molecular data strongly support the singularity of this new taxon. The species is illustrated by photomicrographs and SEM, and its ecology and conservation are discussed.