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Issue: Vol. 721 No. 1: 3 Oct. 2025
Type: Article
Published: 2025-10-03
DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.721.1.3
Page range: 65-74
Abstract views: 339
PDF downloaded: 8

Lethocolea Mitt. (Acrobolbaceae, Marchantiophyta) new to China with special reference to its first plastome

Shanghai High School International Division, 989 Baise Road, Shanghai 200231, China
Bryology Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200241, China
Bryology Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200241, China
Bryology Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200241, China
Bryology Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200241, China; Tiantong National Station of Forest Ecosystem, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200241, China
Chloroplast genome gemmae India Lethocolea indica liverworts oil bodies Bryophytes

Abstract

Lethocolea (Acrobolbaceae, Marchantiophyta) is a small liverwort genus with four currently accepted species and one doubtful species (Lethocolea indica). Despite a recent taxonomic revision, L. indica, a poorly understood species known only from northern India, remains doubtful and requires further examination. This study reports the first occurrence of Lethocolea in China, where L. indica was found in the Black-necked Crane Provincial Nature Reserve in Yunnan. We present the first complete plastome of Lethocolea, which is 119,056 bp in length and contains 130 functional genes. Phylogenetic analyses based on the rps4 gene indicate that L. indica belongs to the subgenus Lethocolea and is closely related to L. javanica, which is known from Australia, Indonesia (Java), New Caledonia, New Zealand, and southern India. The present study provides a detailed description and illustration of L. indica, highlighting its morphological resemblance to L. javanica. We propose further investigation into the taxonomic status of L. indica, including additional population sampling and expanded molecular-phylogenetic analyses with more molecular markers.

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How to Cite

Xu, J., Zhao, Y.-D., Yin, D.-P., Xu, H. & Zhu, R.-L. (2025) Lethocolea Mitt. (Acrobolbaceae, Marchantiophyta) new to China with special reference to its first plastome. Phytotaxa 721 (1): 65–74. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.721.1.3