Skip to main content

Broad leaf firmoss (Huperzia crassifolia Lycopodiaceae), a new species based on morphological and molecular

NEWS - Researchers report a new species of firmoss from China, Huperzia crassifolia, described based on morphological characters and molecular evidence. The new species resembles H. javanica Sw. (C.Y.Yang, 1989), particularly in leaf shape and serrations, but can be distinguished by the seasonal leaf constriction zone, leaf margin and pinnae color.

Huperzia crassifolia (Lycopodiaceae), a new species based on morphological and molecular

A research team from Qiannan Normal College for Nationalities, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Chongqing Institute of Medical Plant Cultivation confirmed H. crassifolia is distinct from all previously known species. It is morphologically distinct with a thick coriaceous texture, elliptical to slightly oblanceolate pinnae and a well-differentiated seasonal constriction zone.

Phylogenomic reconstruction using whole chloroplast genome sequences identified H. crassifolia as sister to H. sutchueniana and distantly related to H. javanica, H. nanlingensis and H. serrata. The genome size of 2C = 17.2 pg indicates the new species is tetraploid, while H. javanica is diploid and has a genome size of 8.7 pg.

Broad leaf firmoss or 厚叶石杉 (Chinese pinyin: hou ye shi shan) is a terrestrial, naked-seeded plant currently only known from Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, and Chongqing, growing on humus-rich soils in shaded conditions formed in broadleaf forest undergrowth at elevations of 1100-1900 meters.

The morphological variation of the new species is considered semi-cryptic so it is often reported as a form of H. javanica. The uncertainty is caused by morphological differentiation. The researchers explored another more powerful approach by integrating morphology and phylogenomics.

Several standard chloroplast DNA sequences showed very low DNA mutations in this ancient lycophyte lineage and therefore lacked resolution in species identification. The researchers showed that plastomes are a powerful approach to investigate species boundaries within the genus Huperzia.

The phylogenetic placement of the new species as sister to H. sutchueniana raises questions about its origin. H. sutchueniana differs from H. crassifolia and H. javanica by its sparsely toothed margins and lanceolate leaves. The genome size of H. crassifolia as a tetraploid, morphological conflicts and phylogenetic placement imply an allotetraploid derived from hybridization between H. javanica and H. sutchueniana.

Huperzia Bernh was first formally described by Johann Jakob Bernhardi (1774-1850) in 1801. This genus is highly adaptive, has 6 synonyms, includes more than 340 species and grows on land all over the world.

Original research

Guo Z-Y, Liu H-M, Wang K-K, Fujiwara T, Liu Z-Y, Zhang X-C, Schneider H (2024). Huperzia crassifolia (Lycopodiaceae), a new species from China based on morphological characters and molecular evidence. PhytoKeys 246: 27-42. DOI:10.3897/phytokeys.246.131046
Labels:

Popular Posts

Yellow garden spider (Argiope appensa)

Yellow garden spider ( Argiope appensa ) is a species of spider in Araneidae that lives on the coast to forests on islands in the western Pacific Ocean. Black and yellow females are striking and have a length of 5.1-6.4 cm including long legs, while males are brown and have a length of about 1.9 cm. A. appensa lives on cliffs in the hills at 600 m above sea level in Kewu plain to rice fields in the lowlands. They make nests at a height of 1.5 meters from the ground between teak ( Tectona grandis ), sonokeling ( Dalbergia latifolia ), sonosiso ( Dalbergia sissoo ), crown flower ( Calotropis gigantea ) and various grasses. Yellow garden spiders grow in large sizes, but are not toxic to humans. Advanced builds ball-shaped nets and most of them make stabilizers which are zigzag-shaped lines in nets made of thicker bands. This species spends more time in stationary and sits in the middle of the net with its head down to wait for insects to be entangled in fine silk thread. Unli...
Read more

Skyflower (Duranta erecta)

Sinyo nakal or skyflower ( Duranta erecta ) is plant species in Verbenaceae, a broad shrub or small tree, up to 6 m high, stems growing upright or horizontally with broad clumps, many branches, bark light brown, old tree has axillary spines and grows to form dense colonies. D. erecta has bright green leaves, elliptical to ovoid, pointed or rounded ends, sitting opposite, 7.5 cm long, 3.5 cm wide, a main vein in the middle with several small lateral veins, petiole long 1.5 cm. Flowers are light blue or lavender or white, appear in tight clusters as on terminal stems and axils, often curled or pendulous, blooms in summer. The fruit is a berry having a stalk, small round, yellow or orange or white in color, up to 11 mm in diameter, an eye green in front and containing several seeds. Skyflower grows in dry or humid areas and lots of sun, rocky or sandy beaches, forests, farmland and disturbed places. Plants will grow at a rate of up to half a meter per year. Kingdom: Plantae Phylum:...
Read more

Big-leaved acacia (Acacia mangium)

Big-leaved acacia ( Acacia mangium ) is a species of woody plants in the Acacieae, long oval leaves, growing up to 30 m and straight stems, except in less favorable places will grow only 7-10 m, have hardwood, rough, longitudinal grooved and dark to light brown. A. mangium has shoots with compound leaves consisting of many minor leaves and after growing a few weeks does not produce any more real leaves but the main axis of the petiole of each compound leaves widens and turns into known pohyllocladus or pseudo leaves. Big-leaved acacia has about 142,000 seeds/kg. Long pods form circular threads and are black or brown when ripe. Dry pods will open to expose small black seeds. Trees bind nitrogen to the soil and are a popular species for agroforestry projects. This plant is weather resistant, although it requires special care if it is planted as a garden plant where the leaves are falling a lot. These plants include legumes that grow quickly by increasing height 4 m per year near ...
Read more