Shui-Liang Guo

Air quality for metals and sulfur in Shanghai, China, determined with moss bags.

In order to better understand the spatial and temporal distribution pattern of metals and sulfur present in Shanghai, moss bags with Haplocladium microphyllum (Hedw.) Broth. were suspended at 14 local monitoring stations from April through June 2006 in Shanghai, the largest city in China. The results showed that the concentrations of S, Cu, Pb, and Zn in the moss bags after exposure were higher at the sites in the industrial district and most urban districts and lower at the sites in suburban areas, and well correlated with SO(2) API and PM10 API in the air both in terms of space and time. The present study provided evidence that the moss H. microphyllum is suitable for bio-monitoring air pollution with moss bags and further confirmed that the moss-bag method is a simple, inexpensive and useful technique.

Successful Tissue Culture of the Medicinal Moss Rhodobryum giganteum and Factors Influencing Proliferation of Its Protonemata

Rhodobryum giganteum is a rare Chinese traditional medicinal moss species and has special therapy value in heart diseases. In the present study, we successfully induced gametophores and protonemata of R. giganteum in vitro from its new shoots, which were disinfected with 0.1% HgCl2, for eight minutes. We also tested the factors influencing the growth of its protonemata and found that: (1) modified Knop medium is able to facilitate the elongation of the protonemata in vitro and prolong their growth time in vitro, whereas MS medium is able to facilitate the branching of the protone mata, and the protonemata grew slowly in modified White medium, accompanied by the development of gametophores; (2) cutting of the protonemata increases protonemal proliferation in vitro; (3) 2,4-D facilitates the induction of protonemata from leaves at 0.5 mgl-1, but inhibits the induction and quickens the aging process of the protonemata at 2.0 mgl-1.

Macromitrium cavaleriei, a little known moss from China with four new synonyms (Musci: Orthotrichaceae)

Abstract Macromitrium cavaleriei Cardot & Thér. in Thér. is a little known Chinese moss of the family Orthotrichaceae. The species, which, forms dense mats with creeping stems, varies much in its branch leaf shape and in the laminal cell papillosity of the branch and perichaetial leaves. In the present paper, Macromitrium cavaleriei is re-evaluated taxonomically, including the new synonymizations of M. gebaueri Broth., M. sinense E. B. Bartram, M. syntrichophyllum Thér. & P. de la Varde, and M. syntrichophyllum var. longisetum Thér. & Reimers from China. The synonymizations extend the distribution of M. cavaleriei from Guizhou to 15 provinces and one municipality, mainly in the area to the South of the Yangtze River, Southwest China, and Taiwan. Additionally, M. cavaleriei is reported as new to the moss flora of Japan.

Taxonomic and morphometric comments on Macromitrium tosae Besch. (Orthotrichaceae), with its four new synonyms

Abstract Macromitrium tosae Besch. and M. cavaleriei Cardot & Thér. are two taxa that are poorly discriminated from one another, and M. melanostomum Paris & Broth., M. courtoisii Broth. & Paris, M. cylindrothecium Nog. and M. chungkingense P. C. Chen are four little known species. Cluster and Principle Component Analyses were applied to evaluate the morphological distinctiveness of these species based on 27 character indices of leaf morphology from ten type specimens and 17 other specimens. Macromitrium cylindrothecium, M. chungkingense, M. courtoisi and M. melanostomum are not unambiguously distinct from M. tosae and should therefore be considered conspecific. Macromitrium tosae, a common species in China, differs, however, from M. cavaleriei by shorter, lingulate, apiculate branch leaves with obtuse apices and distinctly pluri–papillose laminal cells, and its inner perichaetial leaves with acuminate or short acuminate apices.

Modeling the Geographic Distribution of the Epiphytic Moss Macromitrium japonicum in China

Using 76 presence-only data, altitude, percent tree cover and 11 bioclimatic variables, we modeled the geographical distribution of Macromitrium japonicum in China with an aid of a maximum entropy algorithm modeling program (MaxEnt). We found habitats suitable for M. japonicum in the major mountains in southeastern, southern, and southwestern China, and also in the Changbai Mountains, Taihang Mountains, Yanshan Mountains, Tainwan and Hainan Island. With increasing percent of tree cover, mean temperatures in the driest quarter, the warmest quarter and the coldest quarter, and with decreasing annual temperature range and mean diurnal temperature range, habitat suitability for M. japonicum increases. The MaxEnt model also indicated that areas with precipitation of the wettest month being 300 mm, and precipitation of the warmest quarter being 500–600 mm are favourable for M. japonicum. It also favours lower altitudes (0–1000 m a.s.l.), while with increasing altitude (from 1000 to 6000 m a.s.l.), habitat suitability decreases. Habitat suitability for M. japonicum firstly increases rapidly with increasing precipitation in the driest month and the coldest quarter at lower altitudes, and then slightly increases after the factors exceed a certain threshold value.

A New Species of Macromitrium (Orthotrichaceae) from Hainan, China

Abstract Macromitrium hainanense is described and illustrated as a new species from the Hainan Province of China. This species, belonging to a gymnostomous group of Macromitrium, is most closely related to M. taiheizanense from Taiwan. It is distinguished from all congeners by the immersed and ovoid capsules with exceedingly short setae (ca. 0.2–0.4 mm long), the absence of a peristome, the rounded-quadrate to oblate, pluripapillose upper laminal cells, the elongate and sigmoid-curved, smooth basal cells and the hairy, campanulate-mitrate calyptrae.

Using macroclimatic models to estimate the distribution ranges of taxonomically challenging taxa, an example with Macromitrium cavaleriei Cardot & Thér. (Orthotrichaceae)

Abstract An expanded taxonomic study of the narrowly understood Macromitrium cavaleriei Cardot & Thér. identified four new synonyms, M. cancellatum Y.X.Xiong, M. giraldii var. acrophylloides Müll.Hal., M. handelii Broth. and M. rigbyanum Dixon. With the discovery of the new synonyms, the range of M. cavaleriei is extended to India, Nepal, South Korea and Vietnam. To determine the potential distribution range of the species, we described its macroclimatic niche from its extant distribution with the maximum entropy algorithm modelling program (Maxent), contrasting the impact of different geographic backgrounds on the models. We found that the potential range of the species included central, southern, southwestern China to northern Vietnam, Myanmar, Bhutan, Nepal and India, and northwards to Japan and the Korean Peninsula. This estimation of the potential distribution range is largely confirmed by the herbarium specimens. The predicted climate suitability for M. cavaleriei is higher in the areas where the annual temperature range is about 26°C and precipitation during the warmest quarter, wettest quarter and month, and driest month are 500–600 mm, 500 mm, 200–210 mm, and 50 mm, respectively.

Taxonomic assessment of Ptychomitrium lepidomitrium and P-tortula (Bryopsida, Ptychomitriaceae)

Abstract Ptychomitrium tortula (Harv.) A.Jaeger, P. lepidomitrium (C.Muell.) Schimp., P. rhacomitrioides Dixon and P. lindigii (Hampe) Jaeg. are similar in morphology by having scabrous calyptrae, sinuous basal leaf cells and crisped and contorted dry leaves. Studies of the type specimens of these species indicated that P. rhacomitrioides and P. lindigii are synonymous with P. tortula and P. lepidomitrium, respectively. Comparisons of the morphological features and distribution in detail showed that P. tortula and P. lepidomitrium are two distinctive species with geographical disjunction between Asia and Central and South America.

Three new synonyms of Macromitrium microstomum (Hook. & Grev.) Schwägr. (Bryophyta, Orthotrichaceae), with comments on its morphological variations

Macromitrium filicaule Müll.Hal., M. pacificum var. brevisetum Thér. and M. subnitidum Müll.Hal are placed in synonymy with Macromitrium microstomum (Hook. & Grev.) Schwägr. The morphological variations of M. microstomum branch leaves, perichaetial leaves and capsules are illustrated by digital images.