A phylogenetic analysis of the genera of Lejeuneaceae (Hepaticae)

Abstract

The Lejeuneaceae are the largest family of the liverworts (Hepaticae), with almost a thousand species in 91 currently accepted genera. We analysed phylogenetic relationships of 69 genera, representing all major subfamilies and tribes recognized in the family, by using 49 informative morphological characters (31 gametophytic, 18 sporophytic), one chemical character, and applying equal and successive weighting of characters and parsimony analysis. In all trees recovered, the Lejeuneaceae were monophyletic with Nipponolejeunea (subfam. Nipponolejeuneoideae) forming the basalmost lineage. The remaining genera clustered in two major groups, the monophyletic Lejeuneoideae (52 genera) and the paraphyletic Ptychanthoideae (16 genera). Within each, several multigeneric lineages corresponding in part to previously described taxa were recovered: the Acrolejeuneinae and Ptychanthinae clades in the Ptychanthoideae, and the Brachiolejeuneinae, Lejeuneeae and Tuyamaella-Cololejeunea clades in the Lejeuneoideae. Bryopteris , a genus sometimes treated as a separate family, was nested in the Ptychanthinae clade. The Tuyamaella-Cololejeunea lineage corresponded with three previously recognized subfamilies (Cololejeuneoideae, Myriocoleoideae and Tuyamaelloideae) and contained genera with neotenic features, in two subclades. These features seemed to have originated by multiple heterochronic events: single origins were detected for 'protonemal neoteny' and 'primary neoteny', whereas 'secondary neoteny' probably evolved twice. Relationships within the large Lejeuneeae clade (43 genera) remained largely unresolved, although several putative lineages were detected in majority rule trees. Additional characters such as DNA sequences may provide better phylogenetic resolution in this group.

Phylogenetic relationships and neotenic evolution of Metzgeriopsis (Lejeuneaceae) based on chloroplast DNA sequences and morphology

“…The development of an elaborate protonema that is the main photosynthetic system of the plant, replacing the vegetative portion of the gametophyte, has been interpreted as a case of neotenic evolution (‘protonemal neoteny’; Gradstein, Reiner‐Drehwald & Schneider, 2003). Protonemal neoteny is very rare in liverworts and, in addition to Metzgeriopsis , occurs in Protocephalozia ephemeroides Spruce and in two species of the genus Radula Dumort., R. aguirrei R.M.Schust and R. yanoella R.M.Schust (Schuster, 1966, 1990).…”

Lejeuneaceae (Marchantiophyta) share an indel in chloroplastrps4 gene

“…was placed in its own family (Bryopteridaceae) by Stotler & Crandall-Stotler (1974) and Crandall-Stotler & Stotler (2000) because of its unique branching type. However molecular (Ahonen et al, 2003;Davis, 2004;He-Nygrén et al, 2004, 2006Wilson et al, 2004Wilson et al, , 2007aHeinrichs et al, 2005;Forrest et al, 2006) and morphological cladistic studies (Weis, 2001;Gradstein et al, 2003) both resolve Bryopteris as a member of Lejeuneaceae. The distribution of the 9 bp indel provides support for the view that Bryopteris is a member of the Lejeuneaceae, but Nipponolejeunea shares a more recent common ancestor with genera in the Jubulaceae rather than the Lejeuneaceae.…”

“…Traditionally, Nipponolejeunea has been assigned to the Lejeuneaceae (Mizutani, 1961;Schuster, 1963;Gradstein, 1994Gradstein, , 2001Crandall-Stotler & Stotler, 2000) based mainly on the basis of leaf morphology: the lobule attaches to the lobe along a long keel. Weis (2001) and Gradstein et al (2003) described cladistic analyses based on morphological characters, and both authors recognized Nipponolejeunea as an early-diverging lineage of Lejeuneaceae. However recent molecular analyses (e.g.…”

Present status of genusRectolejeuneaA.Evans (Marchantiophyta) in India

“…Recent studies (He, 1997;Bastos & Yano, 2003;Gradstein et al, 2003;ReinerDrehwald & Grolle, 2012) characterized the genus Rectolejeunea as small plants, dark green in colour, cortical cells 7, medullary cells 3 or more, leaf-lobe ovate to oblong-ovate, often caducous, basal ocelli always present in leaf-lobe, subgynoecial innovation pycnolejeunoid rather than lejeuneoid; perianth obovate, 5-keeled, dorsally compressed, with sharp lateral keels, plane dorsal surface, broad ventral keel and short beak. These studies also proposed the transfer of numerous species of Rectolejeunea into the genus Lejeunea, leaving only five species worldwide namely, R. berteroana (Gottsche ex Steph.)…”