Hattoria 11: 61–75. 2020 Taxonomic reevaluation of Didymodon nigrescens (Pottiaceae) in Japan Yuya INOUE1, 2, Juan A. JIMÉNEZ3, Takumi SATO2, Hiromi TSUBOTA1 & Tomio YAMAGUCHI1 1 Program of Basic Biology, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Kagamiyama 1–3–1, Higashihiroshima, Hiroshima 739–8526, Japan 2 Hattori Botanical Laboratory, Obi 6–1–26, Nichinan, Miyazaki 889–2535, Japan 3 Departamento de Biología Vegetal, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Murcia, Campus de Espinardo 30100, Murcia, Spain Author for correspondence: Yuya INOUE,
[email protected] Abstract Based on morphological investigation and molecular phylogenetic analysis, we find that the previous concept of Didymodon nigrescens (Mitt.) K.Saito sensu Saito in Japan includes D. nigrescens and D. subandreaeoides (Kindb.) R.H.Zander, the latter newly reported from Japan. Morphological and phylogenetic data from Japanese material clearly segregate these species from each other. In addition, Japanese D. nigrescens shows two groups, with morphological traits supporting the phylogeny, requiring further morpho-molecular evaluation based on broad sampling. Descriptions with analytical illustrations are provided based on Japanese material. Andreaea takakii Sakurai is proposed as a synonym of D. subandreaeoides. Introduction Didymodon nigrescens (Mitt.) K.Saito is a member of a group of Holarctic mosses whose range penetrates deeply into the tropics, including Central America and East Africa (Bednarek- Ochyra 2018). According to the monograph of Japanese Pottiaceae (Saito 1975), the species grows on calcareous rocks or cliffs in montane to subalpine zones, and was known from several localities from Central Honshu and Shikoku. Saito circumscribed the species by the following characters: (1) plants dark brown to blackish-green, (2) stems more or less branched, (3) basal cells of the leaves rhomboidal, sclerenchymatous near the costa, (4) seta moderately thick, strongly flattened when dry, and (5) perichaetial leaves about two times as long as the stem-leaves.