Integrating continental mainland and islands in temperate East Asia: liverworts and hornworts of the Korean Peninsula

Abstract

The liverwort and hornwort flora of the Korean Peninsula possesses some unique traits arising from the geographic position of the Peninsula, where the mainland flora meets insular flora. This flora is still not exhaustively studied, due not only to political reasons, but also because much less attention has been paid than to adjacent lands by hepaticologists. A checklist presented is based on a study of ca. 15,500 specimens collected by the authors and a review of relevant literature. This study provides the checklist of liverworts and hornworts known from Korea and the geographical distribution of each species within the peninsula. The liverworts and hornworts in Korean flora include 346 taxa (326 species, 16 subspecies and four varieties) in 112 genera and 50 families. Since 2007, 75 taxa of liverworts and four taxa of hornworts are reported as new to the Korean Peninsula, with a number of the new records arising following application of new taxonomic concepts that have become apparent over the last few decades. While compiling the checklist, 42 species, previously reported to Korea, are excluded from the Korean liverwort flora.