Ignatov M.S.1, Wigginton M.J.2, Kuznetzova O.I.3, Huttunen S.4 2008. Bryophytes of St. Helena, South Atlantic Ocean. 3. Sainthelenia, a new genus of Brachytheciaceae (Bryophyta) // Arctoa. Vol. 17: 91–100 [in English].
1 Tsitsin Main Botanical Garden of Russian Academy of Sciences, Botanicheskaya 4, Moscow 127276 Russia; e-mail: misha_ignatov@list.ru
2 36 Big Green, Warmington, Peterborough PE8 6TU, U.K.; e-mail: m.wigginton868@btinternet.com
3 Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Moscow State University, Moscow 119234 Russia; e-mail: oikuznets@gmail.com
4 Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Biology, FI-20014 University of Turku, Finland; e-mail: shuttu@utu.fi
KEYWORDS: mosses, Brachytheciaceae, Sainthelenia, taxonomy, molecular phylogenetics, ITS, trnL-F.
ABSTRACT. Brachythecium athrocladum (Mitt.) Paris, an endemic species of St Helena Island, South Atlantic Ocean, is re-studied by morphology and molecular markers, nr ITS region and chloroplastic trnL-F. Molecular markers independently indicate the position of the species in Brachytheciaceae subfamily Helicodontoideae, especially close to the genera Helicodontium and Clasmatodon. Common characters of the plants from St Helena with these genera are discussed. Resulting from these studies, the new genus Sainthelenia Ignatov & M. Wigginton is described, with a single species, confined in its distribution to this island.
doi 10.15298/arctoa.17.07