Ephemerum homomallum (Pottiaceae) and Torrentaria aquatica (Brachytheciaceae), Two Additional American Moss Species New to Africa

Abstract

Two American species of moss, <em>Ephemerum homomallum </em>Müll. Hal. (Pottiaceae) and <em>Torrentaria</em><em> </em><em>aquatica </em>(A. Jaeger) Ochyra (Brachytheciaceae), are reported as new to Africa, based on collections from the Limpopo and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa, respectively. These discoveries changed the phytogeographical status of both species, which now belong to the Afro-American distribution element. Global geographical ranges of these two species are reviewed and mapped, and the amphiatlantic distribution pattern of mosses is briefly summarized. A history of the muscological exploration of southern Africa is briefly considered and recent additions to the moss flora of this area are reviewed.

The genus Ephemerum (Pottiaceae, Bryopsida) in Central Africa (Gabon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda) with description of two new species

“…The genus Ephemerum Hampe comprises c. 32 species (worldfloraonline.org 2023), 20 species according to Ochyra et al (2020) of minute cleistocarpic bryophytes which belong to the smallest species among mosses. They often resemble a small protonema or green alga and are hardly visible with the naked eye.…”

“…(Zander 1993: 216). Ephemerum piliferum Shaw (1878: 314) is an insufficiently known species (Magill 1987;Ochyra et al 2020) that can not be assigned to any accepted taxon. A recently described taxon from South Africa is E. namaquense Magill (1987: 307) (Townsend 1981: 697) from Southern Tanzania, also discovered accidentally in a sample of Weisia brachypoma C.C.Towns.…”

“…(1888: 12). Previously considered endemic to Argentina and Brazil (Lima et al 2020), it was recently discovered in the Limpopo Province in South Africa (Ochyra et al 2020) as a new record for the African continent.…”