The transfer of Tritomaria koreana to Lophozia has led to recircumscription of the genus and shown convergence in Lophoziaceae (Hepaticae)

Abstract

Tritomaria koreana is transferred to Lophozia based on molecular studies involving material from the type locality. Within Lophozia, the species belongs to the early diverging branch sister to other taxa of the genus and is so distinctly morphologically different from congeners that the morphological circumscription of the genus should be revised based on the ability to develop 1) deep, pink-colored unicellular polygonal gemmae, 2) very unequally bilobed leaves, 3) leaves shaped and inserted as in Tritomaria exsecta. There are 5 morphologically distant species of Lophozia, four of which were described within the last decade and belong to the branches sister to the main bulk of taxa of the genus. All of these early diverging taxa are distributed on the geographical fringes of the area for the genus, whereas the geographical centre of the genus is occupied by widely distributed, morphologically intergrading and genetically closely related taxa of questionable taxonomic rank belonging to the L. ventricosa complex and its closest allies.