XVI International Botanical Congess

The epiphyllous liverworts are a representative plant group of the tropical rain forests, and also one of three characteristics of tropical rain forests. They are characterized by 1) epiphyllous habitat, 2) numerous rhizoids in tuft, 3) strongly compressed plants, and 4) the presence of gemmae. Complex topography and climatic conditions result in the rich diversity of epiphyllous liverworts in China. Although there are some scattered literature on Chinese epiphyllous liverworts, monographic studies on this group are still lacking. Owing to their peculiar habitat and very small size, the flora of epiphyllous liverworts in most regions of China have yet to be investigated in detail. The present monographical study reveals that 150 epiphyllous species belonging to 35 genera in 10 families are present in China. The family richest in genera is Lejeuneaceae (23 genera), and the genus with the largest species diversity is Cololejeunea (57 spp.). Until now, China is the richest country in epiphyllous liverworts. Several new synonyms are proposed. Three species new to science are described. Each species is illustrated and described in detail. Ecological investigations show that most epiphyllous liverworts are not confined to specific hosts. Relationships between epiphyllous liverworts and the surface structure of their host leaves are also investigated and discussed. The evolutionary relations within Cololejeunea, the largest epiphyllous genus in China, are explored through a cladistic analysis.