Molecular insights into the phylogeny of the leafy liverwort family Lophoziaceae Cavers

Delimitation and classification of the large, cosmopolitan liverwort family Lophoziaceae is controversial. Many recent workers have included it in Jungermanniaceae, and even in its strictest sense, internal classification has varied widely among different treatments. We analyse variation in DNA sequences of the chloroplast rps4 gene and the trnG intron to provide resolution of phylogenetic relationships in the leafy liverworts with emphasis on the various elements usually placed in Lophoziaceae. The following conclusions are drawn. Lophoziaceae is not closely related to Jungermanniaceae. Lophoziaceae, and perhaps also Cephaloziellaceae, should be included in Scapaniaceae unless many small families are recognised. Delavayella and Blepharidophyllum are excluded from Scapaniaceae. Jamesonielloideae is a family of its own (Jamesoniellaceae) sister to Adelanthaceae (or a subfamily of Adelanthaceae). The genus Anastrophyllum should be split into Anastrophyllum and Sphenolobus. Lophozia is polyphyletic and the genera Isopaches and Schistochilopsis , and perhaps Obtusifolium , should be recognised while L. sudetica could be transferred to Barbilophozia. Barbilophozia s.str. is monophyletic while Orthocaulis is polyphyletic with the four sampled species appearing in 3 different clades; their relationships are poorly resolved. Lophozia silvicola Buch is clearly separated from L. ventricosa and Jamesoniella oenops from J. colorata at species level.