Year: 2014
Type: article
Abstract: Hornworts are the least species-rich bryophyte group, with around 200-250 species worldwide. Despite their low species numbers, hornworts represent a key group for understanding the evolution of plant form because the best-sampled current phylogenies place them as sister to the tracheophytes. Despite their low taxonomic diversity, the group has not been monographed worldwide. There are few well-documented hornwort floras for temperate or tropical areas. Moreover, no species level phylogenies or population studies are available for hornworts. Here we aim at filling some important gaps in hornwort biology and biodiversity. We provide estimates of hornwort species richness worldwide, identifying centers of diversity. We also present two examples of the impact of recent work in elucidating the composition and circumscription of the genera Megaceros and Nothoceros. Important areas for further research are highlighted, particularly at taxonomic, ultrastructural, phylogenetic and genomic levels.
Source: Phytotaxa
Language: English
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
Awards: ATOL: Collaborative Research: Deep Green Plant Phylogenetics: Novel Analytical Methods for Scaling Data from Genomics to Morphology, Acquisition of an Electron Microscope with Digital Camera and Ultramicrotomes for a Central Research Facility, DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Genetic consequences of the shift to asexuality in bryophytes: Insights from the hornwort <I>Megaceros aenigmaticus</I>, Collaborative Research: Biodiversity, Phylogeny and Biogeography of Hornworts
OpenAlex ID: W2143907988