Molecular and morphological evidence support the reinstatement of Cheilolejeunea comitans from synonymy of C. krakakammae.

Peter Beveridge; Lara Shepherd

doi:10.7751/telopea13390

Authors

Peter Beveridge Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Lara Shepherd Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7136-0017

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7751/telopea13390

Keywords:

Liverwort, New Zealand, Australia, Cheilolejeunea krakakammae, C. comitans, synonymy, phylogeny

Abstract

In 2006 Cheilolejeunea comitans (Hook f. and Taylor) R.M.Schust., previously treated as endemic to New Zealand and Australia, was placed in synonymy of C. krakakammae (Lindenb.) R.M.Schust., a taxon with an African type. Here we generated DNA sequences from samples of New Zealand C. comitans and compared them with published sequences for C. krakakammae from China. The molecular evidence, together with a new analysis of morphological evidence from selected samples of C. comitans, and from the types and descriptions of C. krakakammae, justify the reinstatement of C. comitans.