Taxonomic Studies On Chiloscyphus-Heteroscyphus-Lophocolea Group In China

The Geocalycaceae Klinggr., consisting of 3 subfamilies and about 23 genera in the world, is a large family in Hepaticae. Chiloscyphus, Heteroscyphus, and Lophocolea, which are the three branches of Geocalycaceae, have close relationship with each other. Most of the vegetative structures in these plants exhibit a great range of variation from species to species or even within the same species, thus creating great difficulty in circumscription of various taxa. Some concepts and boundaries of its definition are vague. The Floar Bryophytorum Siniorum reported two genera of this groups before this revision. The classification of the study is not deep enough in China. The research on classification systems, boundaries and their ralationgship of Chiloscyphus-Heteroscyphus-Lophocolea have important scientific significance.Based on classical taxonomic methods, the genera Chiloscyphus-Heteroscyphus-Lophocolea were taxonomically revised, using more than 500 specimens, which mainly deposited at IFP and HUN, some of which were collected by oursleves, and other borrowed from various herbaria, including 40 samples of type specimens. The relationships among members of this genus were discussed. The main conclusions are as follows:(1). On the basis of the research, twenty species of Chiloscyphus-Heteroscyphus-Lophocolea are recognized as occurring in China. There are 2 genera and 20 species. Among them, nine species belong to Chiloscyphus:C. polyanthus, C. profundus, C. minor, C. costatus, C. cuspidatus, C. ciliolatus, C. muricatus, C. sikkimensis and C. integristipulus; eleven of them belong to Heteroscyphus:H. tener, H. splendens, H. saccogynoides, H. argutus, H. coalitus, H. zollingeri, H. lophocoleoides, H. tridentatus, H. aselliformis, H. succulentus and H. spiniferus.(2). Seven species of Chiloscyphus-Heteroscyphus-Lophocolea are newly treated as synonyms of other species:Chiloscyphus yunnanensis C. Gao & Y.-H. Wu=C. ciliolatus (Nees) J.J Engel et R.M. Schust.; C. schiffneri J.J. Engel et R.M. Schust.= C. ciliolatus (Nees) J.J Engel et R.M. Schust.; C. aposinensis Piippo= C. muricatus (Lehm.) J.J. Engel et R.M. Schust.; Heteroscyphus turgidus (Schiffn.) Schiffn.=H. tener (Steph.) Schiffn.; H. planus (Mitt.) Schiffn.=H. argutus (Reinw.,Bl.et Nees) Schiffn.; H. flaccidus (Mitt.) J.J. Engel et R.M.Schust.= H. aselliformis (Reinw., Bl. Et Nees) Schiffn.; H.acutangulus (Schiffn.) Schiffn.= H. aselliformis (Reinw.. Bl. Et Nees) Schiffn.(3). The three specimens of Chiloscyphus fragrans which were reported in China have been identified as other species, thus C. fragrans should been excluded from Chinese bryophytes flora. Lophooclea magniperianthia is treated as synonym of Chiloscyphus semiteres in Flora Bryophytorum Sinicorum. Piippo (1996) thought L. magniperianthia should be the synonym of C. costatus. This study agrees with Piippo (1996)'s result.(4). The holotypes of C. breviculus, C. horikawana, C. sinensis and C. itoana have not been found during our study.This is the first study of Chiloscyphus-Heteroscyphus-Lophocolea in China in which morphological characters were increased. Through this study, a monograph of Chiloscyphus-Heteroscyphus-Lophocolea in China is expected to compile, which may provide detailed information for bryophyte reacarch throughout the world.