Three species of Sphagnum endemic to Ile Amsterdam, Terres Australes et Antarctiques Françaises: S. cavernulosum sp. nov., S. complanatum sp. nov. and S. islei

• Published in: Journal of Bryology
• Main Authors: Flatberg, Kjell I., Whinam, Jennie, Lebouvier, Marc
• Other Authors: Museum of Natural History and Archaeology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim (NTNU), Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)-Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Australian National University (ANU), Ecosystèmes, biodiversité, évolution Rennes (ECOBIO), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers de Rennes (OSUR)-Institut Ecologie et Environnement (INEE), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Rennes 1 (UR1), Université de Rennes (UNIV-RENNES)-Université de Rennes (UNIV-RENNES), Projet IPEV n°136 ECOBIO CNRS Z A Antarctique SCAR Program Evoluiton and Biodiversity in Antarctica
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2011
• Subjects: Distribution; Endemics; Iˆle Amsterdam; Sphagnales; Taxonomy; [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology; Antarc*; Antarctique*
• Online Access: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00645825; https://doi.org/10.1179/1743282010Y.0000000019

International audience The taxonomy of three recently collected species of peat mosses (Sphagnales) from Iˆle Amsterdam, Terres Australes et Antarctiques Franc¸aises, is reviewed. Two species belong to Sphagnum subgenus Subsecunda, while a third has uncertain taxonomic affinity. One of the Subsecunda species has previously been described under the name S. islei Warnst. based on material from Iˆle Amsterdam and we provide an amended description. A second species is described as S. complanatum sp. nov. Both species share morphological characteristics with S. capense Hornsch., known from Southern Africa, Malawi, Madagascar, and Reunion. The third species is distinguished by several morphological characteristics and is described as S. cavernulosum sp. nov. It has morphological characteristics that are shared with the subgenera Sphagnum and Acutifolia, and also subgenus Subsecunda. Among known Sphagnum species, the closest morphological relative seems to be S. novo-caledoniae Paris & Warnst., described from southern Melanesia in Oceania. The morphology of these three species is described. At present, these three species appear to be endemic to Iˆle Amsterdam. Their phylogenetic affinities and likely evolutionary histories are discussed based on their morphological characteristics. Molecular data are necessary for further evaluation of their phylogeny, taxonomic relationships, and phylogeography, but repeated attempts to obtain gene sequences have so far failed.