Guide to Liverworts of Oregon: Lophozia sudetica (Nees ex Hueb.) Grolle

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Lophozia 1b oil bodies less than 12 per cell > Lophozia 5b leaves bilobed > Lophozia 8b underleaves absent > Lophozia 12b dioicous > Lophozia 14a gemmae red tinged > Lophozia 15a plants prostrate > Lophozia sudetica


Synonyms: Lophozia alpestris of recent authors, but not (Schleich. ex F. Weber) A.W. Evans; Pseudolophozia sudetica (Nees ex Hueb.) Konstant. et Vilnet; Barbilophozia sudetica (Nees ex Hueb.) L. Söderstrom, DeRoo & Hedd.

Special Status: None.

Recognition: The shallowly bilobed leaves coupled with abundant reddish-brown gemmae are the key field characters.

Distribution: This species is relatively common in the subalpine forest zone.

Comments: Nomenclatural confusion exists because in past literature this species was called Lophozia alpestris (Sleich. ex F. Weber) A.W. Evans. The type of that name is a different species which is sometimes treated as Lophozia alpestris and sometimes submerged under Lophozia bantriensis (Hook.) Steph. Adding to the confusion is the species I have called Lophozia collaris. This is a synonym of Lophozia alpestris but also a synonym of Lophozia bantriensis if that is taken to include Lophozia alpestris.

The genus Pseudolophozia was erected by Konstantinova and Vilnet (2009) based on molecular studies showing its isolation from other species of Lophozia s.l. . Stotler and Crandall-Stotler (2017) have accepted placement in Barbilophozia on the basis of an altermate cladistic analysis (L. Söderstrom et al. 2010). The treatment of Barbilophozia in the draft Floras of North America treatment excludes L. sudetica, but places L. sudetica in a fairly broad concept of Lophozia (Bakalin 2011).

Jessup (2000) reported Anastrophyllum minutum from SW Oregon and NW California. I have examined the collections on which these reports are based and found that these plants are actually thrifty forms of Lophozia sudetica, a remarkably close look alike. Most contemporary works do not point out this similarity, probably because the assumption is made that knowing whether an Anastrophylum or Lophozia is at hand is easily determined. This is not always true with vegetative colonies.


Lophozia sudetica - Horsepasture Mountain, Lane Co., Oregon. DHW m1991. (Left, female shoot with perianth; right, perianth mouth.)



Lophozia sudetica - Horsepasture Mountain, Lane Co., Oregon. DHW m1991. (male shoot.)



Lophozia sudetica - Horsepasture Mountain, Lane Co., Oregon. DHW m1991.



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